MARYHILL'S storming Stagecoach Central First Division run-in of one defeat in 11 league matches speaks volumes about the managerial qualities of Michael Tolland.

And he has earned the right - even as a caretaker manager - to pick a Dream Team XI.

His was a journeyman career that got underway at Clyde and East Stirling before being reinstated to Cumbernauld United in 2002 - under Stuart Millar - and he moved on to Wishaw and then Junior newcomers Clydebank where he helped win the Central Second Division title.

Ashfield was his next port of call in 2005 for a stay of four seasons before joining Maryhill and Yoker Athletic for short playing stints until hanging up his boots in 2013 and rejoining Maryhill in a coaching role under Brian Heron.

His resignation earlier this season saw Michael asked to look after the club until new gaffer-in-waiting Jim Delaney is free from his commitments with Maryhill Under-21s.

Michael's sharing of his thoughts went along the following lines...

GOALKEEPER

MICHAEL recalls his Clydebank team-mate Stefan Gonet as a keeper who was always capable of coming up with crucial saves, and he had nothing but the highest praise for Pollok shot-stopper Kris Robertson. However, his current Maryhill No.1, Grant Hay, gets his nod for the gloves.

He said: "Grant has many attributes to his game so reminiscent of both Stefan and Kris at their peak, and he has kept the goals out with outstanding performances while also chipping in with assists due to his excellent distribution.

"And despite being a relatively young man, he's not afraid to let team-mates know when standards must improve."

DEFENDERS

ZANDER Ryan (Arthurlie) and Chris Cruickshank (Pollok), were to the fore in Michael's thoughts to fill the full-back berths, but when push came to shove, he opted for Paul Finnigan (Shotts Bon Accord) and Mark Thomson (Ashfield), saying: "Finny wasn't the tallest of defenders, but what he lacked in height was made up for by a biting tackle and a terrific competitive spirit that is still going strong today at Rob Roy.

"He would be the natural leader of my team.

"Thommo is the complete player as he is versatile and capable of playing in so many roles - strong in the tackle and dominant in the air with exceptional distribution into the bargain and also good for ten goals per season from free-kicks."

The stand-in gaffer added: "Michael Fallon at Clydebank was a very refined campaigner when given time on the ball, but he could also double as a no-nonsense type when necessary, and few strikers ever messed him about. However ,it's another former Bankies team-mate, John Crawford, who takes the stopper jersey.

"Craw returned to Bankies after playing Senior and proved to be an excellent reader of the game and very commanding in the air, which helped him no end in scoring a few important goals in Clydebank's first season back in the Juniors.

"Beside him, I cannot see past Martin McGoldrick - an absolute defensive rock at Maryhill - who made the huge step up to Auchinleck a few years ago and it says everything about him that he hasn't looked out of place among so many top players."

MIDFIELDERS

MICHAEL found the task of picking a balanced midfield quartet to be very tricky, not least because he has either played alongside or come up against so many talented players in the Junior ranks such as Paul Stewart and Gary McPhee (Cumbernauld United), Graham Mackay (Clydebank) and the Pollok duo of Andy McLay and Andy Essler.

He said: "I had to wrestle a long time before deciding on Mark Hailstones (Clydebank) and Mark Sideserf (Maryhill), for the wide positions.

"The right-sided Mark was a real battler and so hard-working that he never gave defenders a minute's rest, while Sidey could be a strong and direct runner when the occasion demanded, but he was also blessed with the ability to pick a pass and he probably created more goals than he ever scored himself.

"Between them I have gone for a most under-rated player in Martin Gault (Ashfield), someone who never grabbed the headlines but a dream of a player's player as a hard- tackling midfielder who took no prisoners and always put in a shift for his team.

"He possessed a great hunger for success as well as a ferocious shot and just pips Sinky Soutar (Clydebank) for the 'sitter', role while my choice as Galty's engine room partner is David McGeown (Pollok), a classy midfielder who played at the highest level in Junior football and never seemed under pressure, yet always seemed to make an impact when on the field."

FORWARDS

Michael regrets having to omit Brian Carrigan (Linlithgow) and neither could a place be found for Davie Turnbull (Maryhill), Bryan Dingwall (Pollok) or his current Lochburn Park dugout ally James McLernon, who he described as "a highly-intelligent Peters-hill striker with great technique and a cool head in front of goal".

Topping this array of quality candidates, however, is the partnership of Paul Maxwell (Ashfield) and Gary Arbuckle (Yoker), with Michael saying: "They would take some stopping as a pairing because Maxi can terrorise the best of defenders with his goal threat, while Gary was a quiet lad with lightning pace and the knack of being in the right place at the right time, so he would score goals for fun."

DREAM TEAM

Hay, Finnigan, Crawford, McGoldrick, Thomson, Hailstones, McGeown, Gault, Sideserf, Maxwell and Arbuckle. Substitutes: Robertson, Soutar, McPhee, Dingwall and McLernon.