Thomson targets promotion with Vics after loan deal becomes permanent

The challenge of helping his new club strive to win promotion - Thommo's loan deal was made a permanent move this week - seems far removed from him competing as a potential winner for Junior football's biggest prizes, however the midfield ace says he is loving every minute of his time in the Castle Park engine room.

Blantyre have slumped down to a mid-table position as a consequence of having played considerably fewer games than all the leading title contenders and most pundits reckon their step up hopes appear to be slim at best, however 32-year-old Mark admits to be relishing the job in hand.

He said: "To be perfectly honest I'm just delighted to be back playing regularly again with a bunch of guys who are very ambitious and don't like losing.

"There is no better feeling than coming out on the winning side after giving your all at two training nights as well as a Saturday afternoon and that enjoyment was denied me for much of this season at Meadow Park.

"It was a huge wrench to walk away from Stevie Rankin who has been a mentor and good friend for fully nine seasons - seven of them at Ashfield - but his preference for Jordan Murch as Irvine Meadow's sitting midfielder left me on the outside looking in and I just wasn't totally comfortable with my lot.

"I had netted eight goals in a run of 16 games earlier in the season but suffered a dip in form and became something of a peripheral figure as indicated by only making two starts after Christmas with the straw that broke this particular camel's back coming when I was left out of our line-up to face Craigmark.

"Some people might say I should have knuckled down to win back my place in the team but spending weeks on end sitting on the bench and picking up decent wages when your contribution is next to negligible did not sit easy with me and I was only too willing to jump at the opportunity to join Blantyre on loan with the initial intention of gaining some much-needed match fitness."

Moving to the Lanarkshire outfit saw Mark reunited with his former Ashfield team-mates Lee McShane, Wasso Ferguson and Craig Smith, however the similarities were not confined to dressing room personnel.

He added: "I found myself playing again with a grass roots club aiming to bring back the glory days after years in the doldrums and I felt at home from the moment I walked through the Castle Park doors.

"The players are a great bunch and I've had no problems bedding myself down so it was a no brainer when David Greig approached me to talk about making my transfer permanent.

"Dropping down a couple of Divisions might be seen as a backward career move but let's wait and see how things pan out."

Thommo's displays in two Vics outings to date have left his team boss David Greig enthusing (more than normal) over his side's promotion hopes which are set to receive a testing examination tomorrow in a crunch First Division encounter away to second top of the table Lesmahagow.

Greggy revealed: "Landing a player of Mark's quality makes me feel as if all my Christmas and birthday wishes have come true.

"He is top drawer and capable of playing at the very top Junior level as was amply demonstrated in the two games he played for us on loan during which he set up our winning goal each time with trademark free-kicks.

"I was wondering how to approach Stevie Rankin and ask about the possibility of extending our loan arrangement but then Mark came in to training at the start of the week and said he was keen to stay as a signed Vics player.

"Our subsequent approach was not rebuffed out of hand and Irvine Meadow proving to be very reasonable in our transfer talks enabling deal to be quickly concluded and the upshot now is that we have someone at the heart of our midfield who was captaining a leading Super Premier side earlier this season."

Greggy believes Blantyre's outstanding run in losing only two league matches dating back to April 2013 is set to come under pressure at Craighead Park particularly with worrying concerns over the fitness of experienced pair David Galt and Brian McLaughlin.

He admitted: "Bellshill Athletic and the Gow are the teams firmly in the sights of the chasing pack - ourselves included - so it would be a massive boost if we can peg them back particularly in their own backyard where results have been impressive.

"Our defence has strung together three clean sheets and we might need to keep things just as tight through there even though it helps our cause that their top scorer Johnny Logan is suspended."

Performing well on the road is the key for top half of the table clubs tomorrow with Maryhill seeking to rack up a third win on the spin under new gaffer Michael Tolland through at Wishaw, while league leaders Bellshill are readying themselves for a testing 90 minutes away to Renfrew.

Dunipace will be strongly fancied to take all three points against bottom markers Ashfield, but a tougher time of it awaits Carluke Rovers in making the short hop through to face Lanarkshire near-neighbours Larkhall Thistle.

TOMORROW'S FIXTURES

(Kick-offs 2pm)

Stagecoach League Super Premier Division: Cumnock v Auchinleck Talbot, Clydebank v Beith, Glenafton v Arthurlie, Hurlford Utd v Irvine Meadow, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Shotts Bon Accord, Petershill v Troon.

Super First Division: Largs Thistle v Pollok, Rob Roy v Ardeer Thistle, Shettleston v Cumbernauld Utd, Thorniewood Utd v Neilston.

Central First Division: Lesmahagow v Blantyre Vics, Benburb v St Anthony's , Vale of Clyde v Lanark Utd, Renfrew v Bellshill Athletic, Ashfield v Dunipace, Larkhall Thistle v Carluke Rovers, Wishaw v Maryhill.

Central Second Division: Cambuslang Rangers v Johnstone Burgh, Forth v Glasgow Perthshire, St Roch's v Newmains Utd, Royal Albert v Rossvale.

Ayrshire District League: Dalry Thistle v Kello Rovers, Darvel v Lugar Boswell, Muirkirk v Winton Rovers, Whitletts Vics v Kilwinning Rangers, Saltcoats Vics v Craigmark.

Euroscot Eng. Central League Cup first round: Greenock v Kilsyth Rangers.

Second round: Vale of Leven v Yoker.

Ayrshire Cup second round: Maybole v Irvine Vics.