ANTONY KAY says teamwork will be the key to seeing off the challenge of Carlisle United at the Galpharm tonight (7.45).
The former Tranmere man led Town to a 1-0 win over Chesterfield as stand-in skipper in place of suspended Peter Clarke on Boxing Day.
And now the centre-back is eyeing successive home victories and a return to League I’s top two ahead of tomorrow’s round of fixtures, which involve all their promotion rivals.
Twenty-goal top scorer Jordan Rhodes has been grabbing the headlines for Town, with all four in the memorable draw at Sheffield Wednesday, then the winner against Chesterfield.
And Kay, who is set to partner Clarke against Carlisle after Leeds recalled loan defender Alex Bruce, has no problem with that.
“Jordan is on fire at the moment and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bloke. He fully deserves all the credit he’s getting,” said Kay.
“I’m sure he’ll be disappointed not to have scored another goal or two against Chesterfield. But the positive is he’s getting the chances and it shows we’re working together as a team.”
Looking back at the Monday’s clash, Kay commented: “They upped their game in the second half and stopped us moving the ball around as well as we’d been doing.
“I felt we still created enough chances after the break to have won by more, but the main thing though is we got the three points.
“Apart from the first 10 minutes, I thought we were absolutely brilliant in the first half. We were passing the ball around with one and two touches.
“We were very positive and needed to keep that going in the second half, but we took our foot off the gas and some of that was down to how Chesterfield responded.”
While Clarke returns from his one-match ban for reaching five bookings, only Anton Robinson is at risk of a similar suspension ahead of the FA’s amnesty tomorrow.
The former Bournemouth midfielder is on four cautions, one more than Kay, Gary Roberts, Oscar Gobern and Tommy Miller.
As well as Clarke, Alan Lee, Jack Hunt and Calum Woods have all served suspensions after reaching five cautions.
Any player who reaches 10 cautions before the second Sunday in April (in Town’s case up to and including the home game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, April 7,will serve a two-match ban.
