Tranmere Rovers’ Danny Holmes hopes to have made right-back berth his own

Jan 6 2012 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Echo

DANNY HOLMES hopes he has finally laid a strong claim to the right-back spot at Tranmere – six months after starting a second spell with his hometown club.

Holmes will be looking to make his third successive first-team start when Rovers play host to Brentford at Prenton Park tomorrow.

Signed from Welsh Premier League TNS last summer, the 22-year-old found experienced David Raven and Michael Kay standing in his way for the right-back position.

Injuries to both Raven and Kay gave Holmes his chance and he took it impressively by helping Tranmere end an eight-game winless run with a 2-0 success over Bury last Friday. Holmes then kept his place for the 2-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Monday.

“I think I have done something to stake a claim now,” Holmes said. “I’ve been involved in a win and a clean sheet and games like Sheffield Wednesday are the ones you want to play.”

Holmes had been a graduate of Tranmere’s youth system and spent two seasons as a professional at Prenton Park before being released when the squad budget was cut in 2009.

He played two years with TNS and acquired a reputation as the best right back in the Welsh Premier League.

But Holmes admitted his return to a full-time Football League environment demanded an adjustment he wasn’t able to make quickly.

“I wasn’t in the best shape, fitness wise, when I first came back,” Holmes said.

“I was playing a different type of game at TNS. We were the best team in the league and we played an open game. You need to be more solid in this league.

“I am getting there day by day and I feel I have done well lately. Hopefully I can keep my place.”

Holmes made only one senior appearance for Tranmere during his first spell, so the game against Bury was his first at Prenton Park.

It was an emotional evening for a player who grew up supporting Tranmere and lives little more than a mile from Prenton Park.

“When I walked out of the tunnel last Friday and saw all of the crowd I just loved it,” Holmes said. “It was something I dreamt about since I was seven years old.

“Winning the game felt just as good. That was the main thing, especially as we had lost a few games before that.”

Holmes is convinced Tranmere can turn around the disappointing results of the last two months and climb the table during the second half of the campaign.

He said: “There has not been much in the games we lost. We’ve often done well in the first half, conceded a goal and found ourselves in an uphill battle after that. Now we want to get out of that rut.

“Clean sheets bring confidence. The win over Bury was a bit of a relief at the back of your mind but the lads have always been confident. A couple of wins and we can be back in the top half of the table.”

Injuries and illnesses are likely to impact on manager Les Parry’s selection options tomorrow. Martin Devaney and Andy Robinson are recovering from chickenpox and food poisoning respectively. Centre-back Ian Goodison aggravated a hamstring strain in the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday and could be a doubtful starter.

The Brentford game completes the third month of Jose Baxter’s loan from Everton. Parry plans to discuss the possibility of a further extension with David Moyes.