MANAGER Carl Heeley refused to use Worcester City’s travelling problems to get to Salford City as an excuse for his side’s 3-0 defeat.

The kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes after City’s team coach, which set off from Bromsgrove at 9.45am, was stuck on the M6 due to an oil spill between junctions 15 and 16.

But Heeley insisted it had no bearing on the result as Salford claimed a comfortable win thanks to goals from Nick Haughton, Mike Phenix and Scott Burton.

“We picked up at Stoke, got back on the motorway at junction 15 and we didn’t move for nearly two and a half hours,” said Heeley, who arrived at Moor Lane at 3.10pm.

“It’s not ideal and it doesn’t help preparations, but it’s happened and we are certainly not going to use it as an excuse.”

He added: “You have got deal with it and make the best out of the situation.

“We have tried to do that, but when you have three glorious chances it does not matter if it takes 50 minutes or five hours to get here, you have still got to take them.”

However, Heeley admitted the delay did not help centre-back Sam Oji who hobbled off with a thigh injury just before the break.

“If there is one thing the journey up here has probably done is play a huge part in Sam picking up his injury because when you are sitting on the coach for that long, it is going to be a factor,” Heeley added.