Tony Mowbray in challenge to goalkeepers

Jul 28 2008 By Chris Lepkowski

TONY Mowbray has challenged Dean Kiely and Scott Carson to scrap it out for Albion’s No.1 jersey.

Kiely started Albion’s game at Ipswich Town before being replaced at half-time by record signing Carson.

Mowbray claimed the keeper carrying the best form over the next fortnight would put himself in pole position for the opening game of the season at Arsenal on August 16.

“I’m not trying to decide, it’s more down to them,” said Mowbray. “We’ve created competition on the pitch.

“I will assess those performance levels as we go along and put the best one in goal.

“Whoever I think is doing best in his training and in games will play.”

Mowbray is still trying to bring in new players, with the Baggies expected to step up their pursuit of Abdoulaye Meite this week. But he conceded Albion stood a better chance of tying up players in the coming weeks, claiming agents often eased their demands during August.

“You can never tell,” he added. “There are five or six conversations and with any one telephone call it might fall into place.

“Transfer windows are where they are. The further you are from kick-off (August 16), the more agents stick to their demands.

“When it gets closer to kick-off they start getting more realistic and they come back to you with proposals as opposed to having to throw money at it.”