CONDUCT a poll among West Region referees to nominate the most outspoken dugout in Junior circles and it's a fair bet the St Anthony's trio of James McKenna, Bonar McKenzie and Danny Taylor will get their fair share of mentions.

The close friends are never short of an opinion or 10 so one had major concerns over asking them to put their heads together and try to pick a dream Junior XI ... would they ever reach agreement?

Thankfully they did manage to pool their well-informed thoughts and one would have to conclude that their refreshing deliberations were nothing short of illuminating in terms of backing up Cotter's long-held notion that the famous Govan Ants have been the breeding ground for a whole raft of top Juniors down through the years.

GOALKEEPER

The arrogance acquired as a renowned goalscorer in his own playing days had Danny insisting he never rated any shot-stopper whereas Bonar favoured his former Arthurlie team-mate Davie Cormack and James plumped for legendary Yoker and Greenock keeper Kenny Meechan whom he recalls signing for St Anthony's to play in one game.

"Kenny possessed great hands, razor-sharp reflexes and was a real presence between the sticks, however Bonar's belief that big Cormack is the best No.1 to have played at Junior level in his lifetime wins the day," said McKenna.

DEFENDERS

Debate ensued over Mark McWilliams, a determined sort with both Benburb and Pollok while the man who replaced him at Newlandsfield, Zander Ryan, a former team-mate of Bonar's, has been a great servant to numerous clubs. However, pick of all the right-backs according to the trio is Gavin Duncan.

James revealed: "Gavin epitomised everything an overlapping right-back should be. He was sensational powering forward and his great pace ensued very few wingers ever got the best of him."

Bonar put forward the name of Duncan's former Arthurlie full-back partner Martin McLaughlin for the left-back slot while James went further back in time for his choice of the one-time Renfrew and Pollok stalwart Jim Meechan.

Neither man quibbled overmuch with Danny's insistence that the overall "lefty" qualities of his former Vale of Clyde team-mate Tony Fraser "he could defend and play equally well in midfield" gave the current Cumbernauld United ace an edge over his rivals.

James was not for having any discussion over the choice for centre-back as he maintains David "Soap" McInally will go down as one of the greatest players St Anthony's have ever produced.

He recalled: "Soap gave us 10 years at Moore Park and turned down approaches from Hibs, Shrewsbury, Ayr, Nottingham Forest and Kilmarnock though he was on the verge of moving to Rugby Park just when the Killie manager Eddie Morrison was sacked.

"And the Celtic scout John Kelman came down to run the rule over the big man in a game against Carluke Rovers in which he scored a hat-trick from centre-half but Soap broke his ankle in the final minute of the game and that interest in him died.

"He hated travelling and couldn't stomach the thought of playing at our temporary Glenboig home so he moved to Benburb for a sizable transfer fee and gave them the same great service ... but we don't hold that against him."

Well-known names Pat Cairney, Andy Elliot, Paul Maher, Gordon Wilson and Ian Spittal were given an airing for the spot alongside Big Soap, however agreement was ultimately reached on the choice of revered ex-Beith and Auchinleck Talbot sweeper Derek McCulloch whom Bonar described as "one of the best readers of the game he ever played against".

MIDFIELDERS

The trio simply could not leave out the most elegant playmaker to have graced the game in recent years, Martin McGarvey of Arthurlie and Beith fame, so Garv was included in an unaccustomed left-flank berth despite the challenges offered by Dunterlie and Petershill winger Billy Gibson as well as another ex-Ants star turn from the past, Tam "Vincent " McDonald .

Bonar's former Arthurlie forward line ally Johnny Miller and ex-Ants wingers Davie Dickson and Davie Elliot were strongly vying for the opposite flank spot, however it was awarded to Neil Diamond for his exploits after joining the Govan club on a player swap deal that saw Chris Sweeney move to Pollok.

The key engine room mix is made up of Dougie Fontana as the ball-winning and defensive anchor whose unforgiving style left its mark wherever he played and he just gets the nod over Digger Fulton (Arthurlie) and the imperious Gerry Hamilton (Pollok and Larkhall Thistle) whose range of passing was second to none.

James and Danny joined forces to insist upon the legendary Joe Mulherron known as "Mr Goals" in McKenna Park circles to play alongside Fontana.

James revealed: "Joe netted close to 400 goals from midfield and I've lost count of the number of games he won for us almost single-handedly.

"And he will go down as a remarkable club servant because he stayed with the Ants despite numerous offers to move elsewhere from Pollok, Arthurlie and Cambuslang Rangers."

FORWARDS

Auchinleck Talbot great Stevie Mallan was once on the Ants books and James reckons he and Danny Taylor would have formed an irresistible partnership as would the ex-Pollok pairing of John Paisley and Bryan Dingwall.

But when push came to shove, the prospect of another former Ants duo - Tony McDonald and Tam Brown - had him salivating.

James said: "Tam was a marvellous talent who will go down in the history books for winning the Junior Cup with Glenafton and then the big Scottish at Kilmarnock.

"Tony didn't achieve as much in the game but he had few peers in the scoring stakes and was picked for Junior Scotland not long after leaving us for Arthurlie where he was known as "The Legend".

So the Ants boss trio's line-up (4-4-2) is: Cormack, Duncan, McCulloch, McInally, Fraser, Diamond, Fontana, Mulherron, McGarvey, McDonald, Brown. Subs: Meechan (GK), Spittal, Dickson, Mallan, Paisley.