Chris Mackie insists he will be putting Arthurlie first if he is included in the starting line-up for tonight’s vital Super Premier Division basement clash against one of his former clubs Petershill.

Junior journeyman Chris was unveiled at the Barrhead club in late January as part of new manager Stevie Kerrigan’s backroom team.

However his coaching duties have taken a back seat in recent weeks following an injury to top scorer Gary Smith.

Team boss Kegs turned to 30-year-old-Chris to fill the powerful frontman’s boots and he has now featured in Arthurlie’s last three outings.

That works out at 80 minutes of the 3-1 defeat of Rob Roy, the full game in a 2-2 share of the spoils with Glenafton and 70 minutes in last weekend’s 2-2 draw away to reigning champions Auchinleck Talbot.

He said: "My total playing time in the past two years amounts to four games at Bo’ness United as well as my three recent appearances with Arthurlie so it’s understandable that I’m not in the best possible condition.

“I’ve been left nursing painful joints and hardly able to raise a gallop as a result of turning out on Saturdays.

"So the onset of midweek games and our massive head to head against Petershill is a worry particularly as I felt my hamstrings tighten up considerably during the Auchinleck game.

“ But right now I’m feeling not too bad after a session on the treatment table on Monday night so I’ll do what I can for as long as I can if Kegs gives me the nod for what will be the biggest test we will have faced since coming to Arthurlie.

“ Victory would probably cement us as finishing no worse than third bottom and would leave us handily placed to set our sights on teams above us in the table instead of worrying about what’s below .”

Mackie is one of three players in the home team dressing room - Craig Palmer and goalkeeper Mikey White are the others - to have previously played for the Peasy.

However, the hitman insists tonight’s showdown is not about getting one over on their former team.

He added: "I have a lot of fond memories of my time at Petershill and confess to being a big fan of the manager Willie Patterson who is a terrific motivator and coach.

"But I have to put my feelings aside and focus on helping Arthurlie continue to make progress.

“The guys showed great character and desire to come from 0-2 down at Beechwood, never an easy place to visit, and we now have to build on that result and a display marked with signs of us getting our ideas across to the players.”

Mackie hailed Bo’ness loan signing Ian Nimmo for special mention following the weekend share of the spoils and reckons he will have a key role to play tonight.

“Nimmo is a clever ball playing midfielder and is now exerting a massive influence on the players around him and I fancy it won’t be too long until Darren Gribben is similarly picking up the mantle to show why we brought him to this club.

“He played on Saturday and combined well with Gary Carroll so I just hope they have kept something in reserve for facing my old club where a lot of changes have taken place in the past couple of seasons .

“Jordan Chisholm remains from the team I played in and the only other name I recognise in their playing squad is the ex- Clyde striker Michael Daly.

"But if Willie can put out others of their ilk then we will need to apply ourselves if we want anything out of the game.”

Arguably the top attraction of the fixture card is in the Super First Division where third placed Super First Division outfit Kilwinning Rangers host the visit of league leaders Largs Thistle who earlier this season suffered a 5-0 Ardagh Class Cup crushing on their last trip through to Abbey Park.

Form horses Blantyre Vics - four wins and a draw from gaffer Murdie McKinnon’s six games in charge - head for Holm Park seeking three points that would almost certainly guarantee their safety from relegation.

And those great unpredictable Greenock are on the road to face two points better off Kilsyth Rangers knowing a 2-0 win would see Marin Campbell’s men leapfrog above the Gers in the standings despite having played two games fewer.