HAVING the head for football management is not about the technical or even the tactical as much as believing in yourself and your methods - that is what will set you apart.

Pollok boss Tony McInally has clearly harnessed that piece of advice ever since hanging up the boots in 2006 and assuming his first Junior hot-seat posting with Cumbernauld United because few can argue that since then he has excelled in terms of realising his ambitions.

That intense self-belief also extends to his choice of dugout accomplices.

They are his goalkeeping coach Brian "Bisket" Whelan, grizzled hand Brian Sheldon and Stewart Ralston, whose No.2 qualities are eminently endorsed by stats that show he has won every major prize in the game while standing at the shoulder of Rab Sneddon (at Maryhill) or Macca.

Asking this seasoned Newlandsfield quartet to combine reminiscences and pick their all-time Junior Dream Team was never going to be easy.

Especially as they've been putting in so much hard work to drive the Lok to the top of the Super First Division.

However, after over-long deliberations, they finally settled on a starting XI in the following 4-4-2 set-up:

Goalkeeper

Tony spoke fondly of former Shotts keeper Rab McCulloch as well as his old Benburb team-mates Buzz Lamont and Ian Banks, while Stewart sang the praises of dedicated Lochburn Park No.1 Scott Black.

However, both men nodded in assent when goalkeppeing expert Bisket came forward with his knowledgable view that the current Auchinleck Talbot shot-stopper Andy Leishman is the full package, and would deserve to don the gloves for this all-star outfit.

DEFENDerS

Jazz Juttla, Stevie Swift, Gavin Duncan, Eddie Farrell, Andy McFarlane and Ian Gray were just some of the legendary full-backs shunted to one side by the quartet.

Instead, they plumped for the combination of George Gemmell (Auchinleck Talbot) and Craig Cranmer (Pollok and Renfrew), who were both capped for Junior Scotland in their heyday.

Tony admitted: "We were spoilt for choice and then some. However, Gemmell is probably the best right-back I've ever seen as he had pace, power, great defensive awareness and a willingness to get up and down the pitch.

"Big Craig's overlapping was not his strong suit, but he has few peers defensively and nobody comes to mind better suited to defend crosses to the back post."

Uncompromising Sheldy favoured Pat Cairney for the stopper role and more than passing mentions were made of the ball-winning qualities of Ian Spittal and Pat Keogh.

However, Glenafton's inspirational centre-back Alex Kennedy finally got the nod.

Stewart could not see past the former Maryhill, Petershill and Shettleston sweeper Brian Smith to complement Kennedy and Tony initially had his ex-Bens team-mate Derek 'Dexy' Wingate in mind before he recalled Shotts legend Brian 'Cody' McKeown.

He said: "Cody had played at Senior level for 20 years and had captained Airdrie and Queen of the South before Rab Sneddon took him to Hannah Park.

"But, even at the age of 37, he simply oozed class and made the game look easy. He is up there as one of the best five players I have ever come across at Junior level."

Midfielders

Auchinleck's Bryan Young - "currently the best out-to-in player around" - plus Bens star David Sharkey, Tommy Coyne (Linlithgow Rose) and Gordon Young (Cambuslang), were all considered for the wide roles.

But agreement was finally reached on the sublime skills of Martin McGarvey down the right side with his former Arthurlie colleague Mark McLaughlin, who is still turning out for Dumbarton, on the left flank.

Macca reasoned: "Big Mark is better known as a left-back, but he could play anywhere and we had to find a place for him as none of us wanted to go without his great energy and physical presence."

Selecting two players for the Dream Team engine room sparked intense debate, not least because Macca & Co were undecided as to whether to play a ball-winner or someone who could dictate play alongside their out-and-out midfield goalscorer.

Eventually they plumped for the mercurial passing skills of Pollok legend Martin Nelson in tandem with former Shotts ace Brendan Gray.

But not before the qualities of John Boyack (Shotts), Craig Stark (Lanark), Steven White (Auchinleck), Wllie McAlaney (Cambuslang), George Dickson (Larkhall) and Andy McLay (Pollok) had been debated long and hard.

Macca said: "It was our toughest call yet in having to leave out so many talented and immensely inspirational players, not least of all our former Shotts skipper Boyack or Whitey, whom we regard as Auchinleck's captain without the armband."

Forwards

The quartet regard current Pollok striker David Winters as a superb all-round footballer with natural goalscoring ability, but still could not find a starting place for him,though the ex-Dundee United man does make their bench.

Tony said: "Craig Porter, Bryan Dingwall, David Menelaws and Chris McFadden were all ex-team mates who knew the way to goal. But I reckon the ex-Glenafton and Kilwinning Rangers star Norman Montgomery would top any poll of Junior hitmen.

"Noggin was quite simply the epitome of a goal machine and beside him we're playing a bigger - but every inch as effective finisher - in Gordon Mills, who made his name at Auchinleck, but is highly regarded by Pollok fans for a short stint under Jim George."

Tony added: "Not everyone will agree with our picks, but the underlying balance of silk and steel makes for a group of players able to play a bit and, at the same time, deal with anyone wanting to pick a fight with them."

So the Pollok staff's Dream Team reads as: Leishman; Gemmell, Cranmer, McKeown, Kennedy; McGarvey, Gray, Nelson, McLaughlin; Montgomery, Mills. Subs: Spittal, Boyack, Dingwall, Winters, Black (GK).