NIKKI Bull and Anthony Stewart had to play through the pain barrier for Wanderers this afternoon, manager Gary Waddock revealed.

Defender Stewart failed to complete the game after a recurrence of a dead leg he had been suffering during the week, while goalkeeper Bull had to leave a team mate to take his goalkicks towards the end of the match due to a leg problem.

Injuries had already ruled out Sam Wood, Matt Bloomfield and Marvin McCoy, leaving Waddock with an increasingly threadbare squad.

But he refused to use the injuries as an excuse for a poor performance as Wanderers were beaten 1-0 by Southend United.

The Blues boss said: “Bully’s had a slight problem all season. If he continues kicking it could develop into something a lot worse than what it is.

“Anthony Stewart came off with a dead leg, on a dead leg he already had.

“It’s another injury. It’s not an excuse. A group of players went out there today and didn’t produce.”