Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett won't be using travelling as an excuse with back-to-back Torquay United and Barrow trips

Hartlepool United manager Craig Hignett during the Vanarama National League match between Torquay United and Hartlepool United at Plainmoor, Torquay on Saturday 31st August 2019. (Credit: Mark Fletcher | MI News )

The Pools team will travel over 10,000 miles over the course of the National League season and by Tuesday night they will have already totalled up over 1,400 miles within the opening month of the campaign.

After making the longest journey in the National League down to Torquay on Saturday, Craig Hignett’s side are on the road once again for the cross county trip to Barrow on Tuesday.

The 730-mile round-trip didn’t faze the United players at Plainmoor as they raced into an early lead through Jason Kennedy’s header before Peter Kioso sealed victory with a fine finish late on.

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While spending hours on the coach can be detrimental, Hignett insisted it’s not an excuse and pointed to one of Pools’ local rivals as a prime example.

“We’ve got loads of travelling this season but it’s not an excuse for us,” said the Hartlepool manager.

“You saw with us [at Torquay], we prepared properly and we got the result.

“Gateshead last year for example, sometimes they were getting up at four o’clock in the morning to get the coach to play a game the other end of the country and they’d go and win the game and come back on the same day.

“So how can it be an excuse? It’s only an excuse if you let yourself make it one but I know our lads won’t.”