PETERSHILL goalkeeper Stevie McNeil hasn’t kicked a ball in anger this season but his influence is still being keenly felt at the Springburn club.

He has thrown himself into his role as Peasy club captain to lend his support from the sidelines at every training session and match as well as collecting an array of fines for dressing-room misdemeanours which helped fund last weekend’s Christmas bash for the players in Liverpool.

But the 29-year-old admits he would much rather be doing his bit between the posts and this week saw him take the first steps on the long road to recovery by doing “straight-line” running out on the training pitch.

It is a massive boost for McNeil who sustained a severely torn anterior cruciate ligament injury in a game against Irvine Meadow last April that was made worse by him opting to play on in obvious discomfort because his club had no replacement No 1 on the substitutes’ bench.

Surgery has repaired the damage and McNeil has set his sights on getting back to full fitness in the New Year, probably around February, though he refuses to put a time on an actual playing comeback.

“All the hard work put into my rehabilitation programme is, at long last, looking as if it might pay off,” he said.

“It’s been tough going at times, and getting myself to a state of readiness to do a full workout alongside the other players does not necessarily translate into me getting back in the team.

“Our current playing squad includes two goalkeepers: Mikey White, probably playing better now than he did in his first spell at Petershill, and young Matt McRae, and I fancy they will not be standing aside to let me pull on the gloves.

“It’s going to take something special to earn my place but I’m certainly up for a bit of healthy competition.”

The experienced shotstopper has delighted in Petershill’s emergence as a Super First Division title challenger and is hoping his team-mates can further these claims by picking up three points in Saturday’s head to head with city rivals Maryhill at Lochburn Park.

“We ran out 6-0 winners when the teams met in the opening league game this season but Maryhill have come on in leaps and bounds since installing their new manager John Hughes and I can see things being closer to call this time around,” he said.

“In all fairness though, we are looking more settled of late with Liam Finnigan and Stuart McCann playing out of their skins and now we also have Paul Callander back from injury so I fancy he will be extra fired up to put on a good showing against his old club.

“The gaffer, Willie Patterson, has added a bit of defensive experience in the pairing of Paul Murphy and Kevin Nicoll, while further forward Chrissy Hall has hit a purple patch with seven goals in his last three games.

“It’s a sign of how he and Jason Hardie have struck up a consistently good partnership that Stephen McGladrigan cannot force his way into a starting jersey but I’d put money on Glad being ready to grab his opportunity when it comes.

“He’s had to bide his time as have Connor Stevenson and Luke Crerand at different times and it’s great for the team to have this strength in depth which fingers crossed I will be adding to before long.”

His spectator role since the Super First Division campaign got underway in late August has McNeil convinced Shettleston are the pick of the other title contenders.

“Clydebank dished out a real hammering to us but the best team I’ve seen has been Shettleston for whom Peter Weatherson continues to score for fun,” he said.

“I could yet change my mind as we’ve yet to meet Irvine Meadow, Girvan or indeed the league leaders Kilsyth Rangers, who are an unknown quantity other than their main strikers Scott Davidson and Paul McBride who are both former Peasy players.”