A stunning Jon Brady strike gave City a feeling of deja vu as Hereford edged past the Lilywhites, just as they had the last time the clubs met at this stage of the FA Cup, twelve years ago.

Back then the winner came five minutes from time, breaking City hearts after a superb effort to unseat their professional opponents and this time was no different, the eventual winner coming late in the game leaving a tiring City side with little more to offer.

With no fresh injury worries Gary Roberts had the luxury of naming an unchanged side for the third match running, Craig Pope netting his first ever goal in City colours as the Lilywhites shared the spoils with Havant last time out.

The Hereford keeper is put under pressure

The Bulls also came into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw after being held by local rivals Kidderminster last Saturday despite taking the lead through Jamie Pitman. Graham Turner made no less than five changes as Craig Mawson (in goal), Ryan Green, Guy Ipoua, Andy Williams and Alex Jeannin were all drafted into the starting line-up.

There was no lack of cohesion about the Bulls however as they dominated the opening exchanges. Concerted pressure, including two corners finally saw Jeannin square inside to Jon Brady whose low shot was comfortably fielded by Danny Naisbett.

With the game still less than 10 minutes old Williams then got the better of Glen Fuff but fired high of the target.

A further corner saw City struggling to clear their lines before Rob Purdie cut in from the right flank and drilled a shot narrowly wide of the target.

Having looked a yard off the pace in the opening stages City gradually began to find their feet and in their first meaningful attack Robbie Simpson finished off a slick passing move involving Josh Simpson, Mark Molesley and Paul Booth only to be flagged for offside after rounding Mawson and sliding the ball home.

Encouraged by this near miss the Lilywhites started to take the game to their Conference National opponents and bossed the remainder of the half. Good work by Mark Molesley freed Booth on the right and his dipping cross was scooped out from under the bar by Mawson but the close attentions of Robbie Simpson saw the teenage striker penalised for a foul.

Now it was Hereford’s turn to play on the brake and the pacy Guy Ipoua slipped Glen Fuff before setting up Pitman but the former Swindon schemer was foiled by the intervention of Matt Langston.

Craig Dobson breaks from midfield

Mark Molesley then collected a Craig Pope throw and weaved through the inside right channel, having worked his way into the box the six-goal midfielder dragged his shot across the face of goal and narrowly wide of the target.

Craig Dobson did well to create the space which freed wide-man Dale Binns but the former Hendon winger shot disappointingly off-target when well placed just inside the box.

City ended the half on a high note when patient build up down the right eventually saw the ball worked wide to Craig Pope who crossed accurately for Paul Booth but the striker who had netted in every round so far lifted his shot over the bar.

Nevertheless, the home side were deserving of the applause that rang around the ground as they left the field at the interval.

The pattern of the game changed little after the break with both defences well disciplined and dominant as it looked increasingly likely that one goal would be sufficient to settle the encounter.

The first opening of note came just before the hour when Williams flashed a header across the six yard box following Purdie’s near post centre. The corner that followed was only partially cleared and the ball again fell to Williams who this time rifled a fierce drive narrowly wide with Naisbett scampering anxiously across his goal.

The game was then punctuated by a series of bookings which disrupted the flow of the play. The last of the cards shown to Brady, who along with Green combined to halt Binns’ progress as he homed in on goal from wide on the left.

City's Paul Booth is crowded out

Ironically with the Milton Road faithful sensing this might be a chance to snatch a winner, the incident produced the all important goal for Hereford. Mark Molesley’s free-kick was charged down and the ball worked quickly out to the left where Green set off at pace down the wing leaving Josh Simpson in his wake. Brady raced forward in support and as Lee Chaffey moved inside to cover the gap left by the central defenders who had gone forward for the deal ball, peeled off at the far post to collect Green’s measured pass and dispatched an unstoppable 20 yard pile driver past the stranded Naisbett and into the top corner of the net.

With twelve minutes remaining City now had a mountain to climb, despite the introduction of Michael Gash and Jamie Southon the Hereford defence maintained their stranglehold and stifled any attempted comeback.

Substitute Southon did register an effort on target when he collected a square pass from Southon but former Burnley ‘keeper Craig Mawson fell comfortably on the ball and that was that.

There was no doubting the spirit, determination and application of the City players but on the night they came up against a side who were marginally better. The Bulls were rock solid at the back and produced the one moment of class which was enough to win them the game.

The Lilywhites have the ideal opportunity to put this defeat behind them and get back to winning ways in the league when Thurrock visit Milton Road on Tuesday evening.