Heeley: We can't take many more hits to team (From Worcester News)

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Heeley: We can't take many more hits to team

5:10pm Sunday 14th March 2010

WORCESTER City manager Carl Heeley believes his squads’ trials and tribulations have finally caught up with them.

City fielded a makeshift side to win 2-0 at Dover but were unable to produce a repeat performance as they lost by the same score at Bromley.

Several players were once again absent, including Shabir Khan through suspension and injured defensive duo Tom Kemp and Mark Clyde.

But Heeley reckons the straw that finally broke the camel’s back was when striker Marc McGregor reported in sick on the morning of the game.

The manager said: “We had another blow because at 6.30am Marc McGregor called me to say he’d gone down with a virus. To be perfectly honest it was just one player too many. We had two glorious chances and if we had him on the end of them he would have scored us two goals.

“But while we huffed and puffed and we weren’t really at the races.

“I’ve got a squad of players and a budget to work to and when you’re depleted with injuries and suspensions and people unfortunately falling ill overnight, there’s not a lot you can do.

“We are restricted, we’re down to the bare bones but we will get on with it, it’s no good complaining about it.”

Two defensive errors led to the goals for Warren McBean, who has now scored three times against City this season, and Heeley was less than pleased with circumstances surrounding them.

He said: “Warren McBean took his goal well but it was one ball that’s done our defence and I’m disappointed in that because all Bromley did in the first-half was play two direct balls forward. One went through and led to a call for a penalty and the second one they got a goal from.

“For the second goal, Rob Elvins has tried to play a ball to Graham Ward, it was a suicide pass. They were two sloppy goals but we had two great chances and I expected them to go in the net.”

Elvins is now set to serve a four-match ban, following his red card against Hampton and Richmond, and it will be another selection problem for Heeley to solve.

He said: “Missing Rob is another big blow for us and we’re now paying the price for moments of stupidity.”

The manager, though, was impressed with the efforts of midfielder Ryan Burge, signed from the Glenn Hoddle Academy.

Heeley added: “I thought he was bright, he’s got a good engine, worked very hard and he’s got a good left foot.

“He’ll be a useful player for us until the end of the season.”