JIM KIRKWOOD is a director of Ayr United but in Junior circles he has come to prominence as manager of Troon where his five-year stewardship has overseen the Portland Park side's emergence as a force in the game.

The small ripple made in 2012 when gaining promotion as Ayrshire District League runners-up had swelled into a wave last season when Kirkwood steered his playing charges to Super First Division title glory as well as to contest two major cup finals - finishing runners-up to Auchinleck Talbot in the New Coin Holdings West of Scotland Cup prior to getting hold of the Ayrshire Cup silverware with a 2-0 defeat of Hurlford United.

Not bad going for someone whose own playing career was spent in Ayrshire and Central amateur football before he got onto the Junior ladder as the 30-year-old coach of the 2009 Whitletts Vics side to win promotion into the Super First Division.

As one of the relative new kids on the Junior block, Jim's knowledge of players stretches back only so far, however he makes no apologies for so many current-day aces figuring in his Dream Team ruminations.

GOALKEEPER

He deliberated long and hard over Cumnock No.1 Ally Semple before memories of byegone days led to him plumping for former Auchinleck Talbot and Junior Scotland keeper Stuart McIntosh.

Jim said: "I played in the school team with Tosh and he was a stand-out as a youth player but his record in the Junior game is simply second to none and I just wish he was a few years younger to get him down to Portland Park.

"Ally is a superb keeper and is only omitted because of being behind a Junior stalwart which he will surely become in time as he has all the attributes to play at the top for many years to come."

DEFENDERS

Neil Shearer (Renfrew and Kilbirnie Ladeside), Dean Keenan (Troon) Raymond Day (Cumnock) and Mark Staunton (Irvine Meadow) were among the noteworthy names discarded as Jim opted for defensive steel not lacking in Auchinleck bias.

He insisted: "The word legend is often over-used but I believe it sits nicely with the former Talbot right-back George Gemmell who was outstanding defensively but could also attack with great energy and pace.

"We have a young lad at Troon in Gareth Armstrong who has been likened to George and that is some compliment for our young man."

Jim qualified his pick of current Glenafton boss Craig McEwan for the other full back berth in saying: "Southy is a great defensive communicator and a fiercely competitive type even though he played with a smile on his face, most of the time."

For his centre-back combination, Jim has for his own Troon stopper Gavin Collins in tandem with another ex-Talbot great in Derek McCulloch even though his fondness for Del dates to his days at the heart of Beith's backline.

He added: "It will be no surprise that a few current Troon players figure in my Dream X1 selection but I reckon Gav would appear on a lot of lists because he is just the epitome of a no-nonsense, natural leader and born winner that every manager would want in his team .

"And his medals cabinet testifies to how good he is at his job."

He went on: "Del was maybe nearing the end of his playing days when I saw him at Beith but he was a class act who always stood out a mile every time I seen him play.

MIDFIELDERS

Brian "Sniffer" McKeown could play anywhere across the midfield but for me it's a no-brainer to go for his former Beith and Pollok team-mate Calum Hardie who possessed a quite unique ability for going past players in the Juniors.

"He was a massive loss to Troon when work commitments took him to Aberdeen."

Down the other flank, Jim considered Keir Milliken of Auchinleck fame before deciding upon the Beith and ex- Arthurlie bundle of energy - Joe Bradley.

He revealed: "I'm a big fan of Joe and love the way he can run with the ball and play on both wings and the fact he is forever on the move makes him a constant threat to the opposition."

Martin McGarvey came to mind for an attacking role in the centre of the park but Jim believes there was none better for filling that shirt than Tam "Rambo" McDonald of Auchinleck.

He recalled: "Midfielders that can regularly score 25 goals per season are thin on the ground, but as a youngster I loved watching Tam and the way the way he used to drive forward with the ball.

"A great partner for any attacking midfielder is Willie Howie, ex-Glenafton and nowadays with Pollok, whose break-up play and use of the ball is superb and he can keep a passing team ticking with his overall play."

FORWARDS

Lots of top frontmen came to mind with the Talbot duo of David Gormley, and Graham Wilson, ex-Larkhall Thistle striker David McFarlane and Gerry Phillips (Cumnock) uppermost in Jim's thoughts before he plumped for the Little and Large pairing of Paul Maxwell (Irvine Meadow) and David Gillies (Troon).

He said: "Maxi is an outstanding target man with a superb work ethic, who is unselfish and willing to pull centre-backs all over the place to make space for team-mates.

"The injury he picked up was a blow to him and Irvine Meadow but he will be back and my dream partner for him is our own injured striker David Gillies who is the most enthusiastic footballer I know.

"He would work well with Maxi even though he's cut from different cloth in only thinking about one thing before, during and after any game - and that is putting the ball in the net.

Jim's team reads: McIntosh, Gemmell, Collins, McCulloch, McEwan, Hardie, McDonald, Howie, Bradley, Maxwell, Gillies. Substitutes: Keenan, McKeown, Gormley, Philips and Semple (GK).