JOHNNY FALLON has not succeeded in Junior football as much as he would have liked but you could never question the commitment and dedication of someone who has recently taken up the helm at arguably the worst side in the Central Second Division ...

Newmains United.

Yet this inauspicious posting is at odds with his own playing career which saw Johnny play with Motherwell , Stranraer and Cowdenbeath prior to the feted duo of Tommy Coyne and Rab McKinnon reinstating him to Bellshill Athletic.

Stints with Linlithgow Rose and Thorniewood United (when his father John was in charge) then ensued before he assumed the Robertson Park hotseat at the relatively tender managerial age of 29 assisted by Kieron McGuiness and Kevin O'Neil.

A spell at the helm of St Roch's was his next career turn prior to last month taking over at Newmains where he hopes to use his extensive array of contacts in the Juniors to spark a turnaround in fortunes. Some of those names and allies are included in his Dream Team picks ...

GOALKEEPER

Johnny has played alongside many great goalkeepers who have exerted a huge influence on him, none more so than Ian "Faldo" McFarlane, whom he recalls as a great shotstopper and character at Bellshill Athletic.

Ian Wilson (Pollok) and Neil Parry (in his Petershill days) were others to earn his respect and acclaim however his choice for the No.1 jersey is former Celtic and Partick Thistle signing Steven Pinkowski.

He said: "I played with Steff at Linlithgow Rose and can recall precious few games when he was anything but top drawer."

DEFENDERS

Johnny revealed: "No disrespect intended, but I consider the right-back position to be no contest as Kevin O Neil was such an outstanding professional and all-round exemplary defender when we teamed up together at Bellshill Athletic and Thorniewood United.

"He was in the twilight of his career then so I can only imagine how much of a nightmare it was for wingers to play against him in his heyday with Pollok."

Johnny considered Mark Daly (Thorniewood) a tough defender, great in the air and always good for 5-10 goals a season for the left-back berth as well as the cool and consistent Sean Callaghan (Bellshill), but he could not see past Junior journeyman Andy Essler of whom he said: "Andy is probably better known as a left winger, but I always felt he was strong in the tackle and possessing a great engine so he would have been an ideal left back capable of getting forward on the overlap and weighing in with a few goals."

A centre-back pairing proved a more difficult choice given John's liking for hardy, ball-winning types Danny Drew and Stevie Murray(Bellshill) but he opted instead for a partnership of Kieron McGuiness(Linlithgow and Thorniewood) alongside the wonderfully talented Brian "Smiddy" Smith (Petershill).

He said: "Both guys always appeared to have so much time on the ball because they were great readers of the game and being so comfortable in possession made it a delight to play in front of them.

"Roberto Morris (Tayport) was a similar type whom I recall from my time in the East Region while my former Stranraer Dexi Wingate (Irvine Meadow and Pollok) was likewise great on the ball and deceptively quick into the bargain.

"And in more modern times I thought Brian Wharton (Shotts) had all the attributes to be a top notch central defender prior to him joining Queen's Park."

MIDFIELDERS

Johnny often felt Mark Whyte's contribution at Linlithgow - he was hard grafting out wide, great in the air and good for 10-15 goals a season - was often overshadowed by the fact Whitey was "mad as a brush to boot".

However, he and Zander Ryan (Arthurlie) were the only wide right players to come close to his selection of Gary Fleming (Bellshill).

He insisted: "Gary was a player I always thought was excellent technically and a potential match winner who I never ever saw having a bad game."

On the opposite flank, Johnny found himself weighing up the merits of former Bellshill team-mate Anton Franchetti against those of Davie Galt (Blantyre Vics), who he rated as "someone who torments full-backs and always has an end product", but the strength and work ethic of Stuart "Tank" McArthur (Linlithgow) won the day.

Johnny's own central midfield role took a lot more thought to fill as he has come to know and admire so many outstanding engine room exponents at various clubs.

He declared: "Jordan Murch and Jimmy Coulter (Petershill) were players who were fantastic at keeping the ball while an absolute genius on his day was Marc Anthony (Bo'ness Utd).

"I can also recall finding Alan Jack (Shettleston) to be unplayable while Raymond Logan (Pollok) was someone very much in my mould who made a habit of getting on the end of crosses into the penalty box.

"So many choices and so many combinations are possible, however I have plumped for Danny Smith (Linlithgow) who had the heart of a lion and was a great leader.

"Beside him I'm opting for one of Junior footballer's finest playmaker types in Andy McLay who apart from being great on the ball was always in your face."

FORWARDS

Johnny felt the striking positions were an easy one for him to fill with Bryan Dingwall (Pollok) walking into his dream select as a fearless front man with an astonishing penchant for scoring crucial and spectacular goals playing alongside his former Bellshill strike partner Paul McGrillen.

Johnny said of the late McGrillen: "Wee Mowgli was a class act and a tireless worker who scored goals for fun at every level of the game."

"A frontman deserving a mention is Stephen Mullen who played with me and under me at Thorniewood Utd and guaranteed 20-30 goals a season while Stevie Dallas (Petershill) was another top striker very strong and for his height, excellent in the air."

Johnny looked over his selections with no little pride and said he would be astonished if his Dream XI did not challenge for Junior football's top prizes.

It reads as Pinkowski, O'Neil, McGuiness, B. Smith, Essler, Fleming, D. Smith, McLay, McArthur, Dingwall, McGrillen. Substitutes: McFarlane (GK), Wharton, Jack, Mullen, Dallas.