Schools football: Doran signs off with winner

KIERAN Doran is set to leave St Paul’s High this summer and become a full-time footballer with St Mirren.

The fifth-year pupil said the perfect goodbye to schools football by scoring the winning goal for Glasgow against Lanarkshire in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in the final of the Lloyds TSB Scotland Under-18 National Trophy at Motherwell’s Fir Park Stadium.

Lanarkshire led 3-1 with only seven minutes remaining, but Glasgow snatched two late goals to force the tie into penalties, then piled on the agony by winning the shoot-out.

Chris Cadden had given Lanarkshire a 20-minute lead, only for Glasgow’s Mark McKenna to equalise just seconds before half-time.

Lanarkshire regained control with two goals by David Ferguson Daniel McDonald, which looked to have sealed the win. But Glasgow refused to lie down and Ryan Smith made it 3-2 in 84 minutes.

Glasgow increased the pressure on the Lanarkshire backline with goalkeeper McWilliams even venturing forward for a corner kick.

The equaliser came from a knock down to the edge of the box and Andy McLaughlin produced an excellent finish to send the match into the drama of the penalty decider.

With three well-struck penalties already in the bag, Lanarkshire’s Daniel McNulty blazed his effort over the bar, handing the advantage to Glasgow. The men in white took the opportunity with both hands and it was left to Kieran Doran to seal the victory with a textbook penalty.

Neil Ross is the Glasgow team manager and the St Paul’s High teacher was delighted with the squad’s efforts.

“It is the first time since 2000 that Glasgow has won the Senior National Trophy,” he said. “Actually, I think last year’s team was even stronger because we had five Scottish internationalists in the team. But we lost to Dundee in the quarter-finals.”

Doran was one of a handful of St Paul’s High pupils in the squad – and he has played for Scotland Under-18s.