Fifteen minutes into just another game of football for Notts County’s veteran midfielder and captain, Michael Doyle’s number seven hundred and something in a career that has stretched over twenty years from Celtic to Coventry and a bit in between, the Dubliner aged 39 might have thought he had seen it all, Notts already 1-0 up against Dagenham & Redbridge as the snow started lashing down, then team-mate Sam Slocombe gets sent off and concedes a penalty.

The Goalkeeper, the only ‘recognised’ goalkeeper in the squad on the night, left Notts Manager Neal Ardley with a huge dilemma with more than 70 minutes to play in the game… Long had been Ardley’s plan this season to have five outfield subs at his disposal, he had already warned the lads at the start of the campaign, Connell Rawlinson, Michael Doyle, Damien McCrory all responded, ‘if needs be’ they were happy to be considered as emergency replacements when no keeper was on the bench, never did they think the night would come when one would ‘actually’ have to do it.

Doyle joked after last night’s incredible match with Dagenham where it was he, who put his hand up to take the gloves on just eighteen minutes to play the majority of the 3-1 win between the sticks “A couple of weeks ago I was playing centre half and the gaffer and Greg were having a bit of a laugh saying they might have to put me in there if it comes to injuries and I said no problem, thinking (to myself) the older I’m getting the further back I’m going, I didn’t think I would bloody end up in goal”

But Doyle who was magnificent, ensuring he would not be beaten from the penalty spot at 1-0, making a good save with the score at 2-0 and seeing out the match at 3-0 until the ninetieth minute before finally conceding a consolation, said “I played a lot of Gaelic when I was younger with my brothers and for the local club, and thank god all them years of catching the ball kind of came in handy a bit, but the lads in front of me were amazing and it was a joy to watch them with ten men the way they played, they were absolutely brilliant so all the credit goes to them”

On his first task, to face a Dagenham penalty, Doyle stated “When Sam got sent off, I didn’t even realise we didn’t have a keeper on the bench”.

“I was thinking I’m just going to take as long as possible here as the Refs not going to be able to rush me, I knew Luke the sub keeper has small hands, so I said ‘I want Lukes gloves’ as Sams hands are massive”.

“I knew he has small hands because when they get new gloves I always peel the plastic off as I love peeling the plastic off for them, It’s funny it actually came in handy peeling the plastic off”

Doyle said when he was walking to the goal that penalty taker Paul McCallum “started laughing at me” furthering “so I knew right away he wasn’t focussed, at that stage I was just thinking of Bruce Grobbelaar in the European Cup final in 1984 in Rome when he was dossing about, I thought I’m going to have a doss here, but to be fair to Jake the goalkeeping coach he said ‘look dive to your right’ and that was the decision”. McCallum eventually hitting the post.

Doyle said after the game “the lads were calling me the monk out of mean machine and after in the group chat they were putting pictures of Manuel Neuer with my head on” whilst the Notts County fans had already taken to social media with claims of ‘Schmeichel Doyle’.

After his performance, Doyle might expect to be considered for selection to again play in goal on Saturday as Slocombe now banned will miss the match at Wrexham live on BT Sports. Smart money is that Luke Pilling will return to take back his gloves but for Neal Ardley, he now has a reliable deputy that when called upon, will not let his side down no matter where he’s asked to play. Which is something we’ve always known about the County skipper.

*Main image @Official_NCFC Michael Doyle in unfamiliar position against Dagenham & Redbridge.