Moore gives centre-back the okay to stake claim

Nov 13 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

ANTONY KAY has an invitation from the boss to take full advantage of the opportunity to establish himself in the centre-back role for Tranmere Rovers.

The versatile Yorkshireman had to settle for a dozen or so first-team appearances in midfield over the course of his first three months at Prenton Park.

But all that changed last weekend when Ben Chorley, the player who edged Kay out of the defensive line at the start of the campaign, dropped out of the side with a calf injury.

Kay responded by turning in a solid performance capped by a stunning winning goal in Tranmere’s FA Cup success at Chesterfield and with Chorley facing a lay-off of up to one month, manager Ronnie Moore is offering Kay every encouragement to forge a partnership alongside skipper Ian Goodison at the heart of the defence.

Moore said: “The opportunity is there for Antony now. He was very unlucky that he did not start the season in the first-team. It was a close call with Ben Chorley. I went for a dominating type of centre-back over a footballing kind of defender, which Antony is.”

Moore found no reason to take Chorley out of the side and his summer capture from MK Dons was an ever present until the calf injury forced him onto the sidelines at the end of last week.

Kay, who played much of his career in the Championship with Barnsley, had his hands full coping with Chesterfield’s towering centre-forward Steve Fletcher last Saturday. But he found time in the 83rd minute to join the attack and fire home the sweetest of volleys, direct from a Paul McLaren corner, to earn Tranmere a 2-1 win at Saltergate.

Rovers’ reward is a second round tie at Bradford City next month.

Moore said: “I thought Antony did well on Saturday, coping with big Fletcher. If he keeps Ben out of the side then that is fine by me. I have to play the best available XI. I know Antony Kay has played at Championship level as a footballing centre-back.

“It’s good to have the competition here. With him and Ben it’s a case of winner takes all.”

Moore reckons the challenge presented by Doncaster, Tranmere’s League One opponents at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday, should appeal to Kay.

He said: “The Doncaster game will probably suit Antony. They are a footballing side and I think you might find that Antony will have a bit more time to get on the ball and pass it for us.”

Chorley felt the first twinges of a calf strain in the recent game against Nottingham Forest, Moore reported.

He added: “Ben got through the Oldham game with it but struggled in training the following Thursday. It will probably take three or four weeks to clear because the problem is right in the belly of the calf muscle.

“They are a long time healing.”

Tranmere will also be without the suspended Shane Sherriff and Craig Curran at Doncaster.

Sherriff picked up a one-match ban after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season last Saturday.

Curran will serve a one-match ban after being dismissed for two bookable offences late in the game against the Spireites. Moore admits the teenager was fortunate to escape a straight red card for his second offence, a dangerous tackle, and hopes he will learn from the experience.

“It wasn’t like Craig to make a tackle like that and it wasn’t as if he needed to make a tackle in that position. He was gutted afterwards,” said Moore.

“If there had been another 10 minutes left in the game, it could have been costly for us.”