WORCESTER City manager Carl Heeley admitted his frustration with the Football Conference after keeper Matt Sargeant was forced to play through the pain barrier against Brackley.

City wanted to draft in a replacement as Sargeant had not recovered from a thigh injury sustained in last Tuesday’s win at Bishop’s Stortford. Fellow keeper Glyn Thompson was unavailable due to a similar injury and James Dormand, the other keeper City have registered although he has not played this season, needs knee surgery.

However, league officials felt City did not have a strong enough case and denied permission ahead of the 2-0 defeat at St James Park.

Heeley said: “We applied to the Conference for special dispensation to sign a keeper and they refused that. We accept their decision but don’t agree with it but I’m used to it now because every decision they have to make regarding Worcester City goes against us.

“You could clearly see he was injured and Brackley wouldn’t have scored either of those goals if he was fit.

“They were poor goals but I am not going to hang them out to dry. We have been forced to play a lad that’s injured and I thought we were the better side before then and had the better chances.

“They had a few opportunities late on but there was nothing much to choose between the sides.”

Mike Symons missed one of City’s best chances when firing wide with only keeper Billy Turley to beat.

The striker said: “I apologised to the lads, I should have put that way. We were disappointed.”