WITH the same superb sense of timing that won them countless midfield challenges throughout their playing careers , Bryan Slaven and Stuart "Arnie" Davidson have come forward with their all-time Dream X1 in the same week that they steered Largs Thistle to safety from relegation.

It's no exaggeration to say the fledgling management duo have worked wonders since assuming the Barrfields helm in January when even Largs diehards had resigned themselves to a relegation fate from the Super First Division.

But they were able to draw on the lessons learned over an accumulation of 18 seasons with Auchinleck Talbot, and wreaked a quite incredible turnaround in fortunes, which included an eight-game unbeaten run, that lifted Theesel to safety and has supporters already salivating over promotion prospects for next season.

Taking the seaside club forward may depend upon transfer funds being made available, but any monies will be spent wisely judging by Slavin and Davidson thanks to their eye for a player as shown in their Dream Team ruminations.

 

GOALKEEPER:

The penalty box dominance exerted by current Auchinleck goalkeeper Andy Leishman and the qualities of another former Beechwood No.1 were recalled by Slavers.

He said: "Stuart McIntosh didn't possess anywhere near the same physical attributes as big Andy, but he had every bit as much of a presence and was a fantastic shotstopper.

"However, even Tosh is edged out as I cannot see past Largs Thistle legend Stevie Connick for wearing the gloves.

"He was a fantastic all-round keeper with the agility of a gymnast and he occasionally fills in between the Largs posts nowadays to remind everyone that he is still top notch...only with less hair."

 

DEFENDERS:

Slavers and Arnie played with and against many outstanding defenders during their careers and found it difficult in the extreme to settle on a four-man rearguard that did not include ex-Talbot comrades-in-arms Craig Pettigrew and Billy Mason or worthy opponents Stevie Aitchison (Pollok) and Ross McMillan (Largs).

Bryan admitted: "We have gone for a combination that epitomises what Arnie and I would like behind us."

"At right-back is Stevie Swift (Irvine Meadow) a great athlete who worked up and down and could weigh in with a fair number of goals as well.

"We've gone for a similar overlapping type on the other side of our defence in Liam McVey (Auchinleck) who wasn't a regular scorer but few were better at linking up with midfielders in front of him even though his energy and workrate belies the fact he was one of the worst trainers ever.

"Between the full-backs is Gavin Collins, an old-fashioned centre-half who won everything in the air and wasn't shabby on the deck either, while beside Gav we have gone for another Talbot great in Derek Anderson, a terrific organiser at the back with a liking for manhandling strikers now and again."

 

MIDFIELD:

Gifted pair Brian "Sniffer "McKeown (Beith ) and Mark Corcoran (Linlithgow Rose) came under consideration for the wide midfield roles, but Bryan went for a combination of graft and entertainment value in plumping for Talbot duo James Latta and Bryan Young.

He said of them: "James could be relied upon to work his socks off and chip in with important goals at the back post while Youngy came into the Auchinleck squad as a fresh-faced boy and sat at the side for most of his first season before breaking into the team to become a regular for the last 10 years through his great movement, passing ability and the serious goal threat he provides at set pieces.

"He won Talbot our first Super Premier title in 2006 with the only free-kick he's ever scored and the only downside to him is he constantly dresses like a blind, homeless man."

Slavers and Arnie veered away from selecting a similar ball-winning type to themselves for the engine room positions, preferring instead to opt for opponents they found it hard to play against in their own careers.

He said: "It doesn't seem right to omit the likes of Davie Anderson (Kilbirnie Ladeside), Andy McLay (Pollok) and Gary Graham, an old school Junior midfielder in the Talbot team I joined who possessed a football brain of the highest order and was not shy at putting his foot in when needed.

"But our first pick is Martin McGarvey (Beith) who always played with his head up and oozed class, but could also put a shift in.

"Alongside Garv we have gone for David McGeown (Irvine Meadow), who was deceptively good in the air and blessed with the stamina to go box to box and put the ball in your net unless you were on your game."

 

FORWARDS:

Bryan admitted: "We toyed with the idea of picking Kris Doolan, whose great pace and ability to go past defenders to score goals made him a revelation when he arrived at Talbot from Kello Rovers, while another couple of outstanding goalscorers from our era are Bryan Dingwall (Pollok) and David Gillies (Talbot).

"But Arnie and I could not leave out Stevie Mallan, one of the hardest guys to play Junior football and the sort of guy that everyone wants in their team while partnering him is Gavin Friels , capable of scoring goals out of nothing both in and outside the penalty box and a player who could take a kicking and would keep going back for more."

The Largs duo's well informed choice of players comes out as: Connick, Swift, Anderson, Collins, McVey, Latta, McGarvey, McGeown, Young, Mallan, Friels. Substitutes: Pettigrew, Graham, Doolan, Gillies, McIntosh (GK).