Hereford'S 11-game unbeaten Nationwide Conference run was ended in unlikely fashion on Tuesday, writes ADAM WORKMAN.

Woking were the league's joint lowest scorers and second from bottom before this game, but the form book went out of the window along with the Bull's impressive defensive record.

It took just 11 minutes for the Cards to end United's spell of 479 minutes of football without conceding a goal when Darren Hay arrived at the far post to connect with a deep cross from Scott Smith.

Hay headed powerfully past keeper Andy Quy and left Hereford defenders looking at each other in near disbelief.

Still shell-shocked, the Bulls went two goals down 10 minutes later when an assistant referee took centre stage with the first of two contentious decisions.

Striker Nassim Akrour seemed to be off-side in the centre of the Bulls' box after Dante Alighieri headed a cleverly weighted ball from Smith across the area.

The United defence hesitated but when play continued Akrour had plenty of time to choose his spot.

Ian Rodgerson responded for the Bulls by hitting the bar after he lobbed the ball over keeper Darryl Flahaven, but just before the half-hour Woking went further ahead.

Straight from the goal-kick that followed Rodgerson's shot, Akrour ghosted through the defence and set up Scott Steele to side-foot home.

Rob Elmes came close to scoring for the fourth successive game on 36 minutes when he rattled the bar from a Rodgerson free-kick, but soon after he blasted his best opportunity well over from six yards.

After the break United shook off their first-half hangover to mount a recovery.

Elmes again blazed over from close range before they pulled a goal back in somewhat fortuitous circumstances after 61 minutes from a free-kick by Rodgerson.

The ball deflected over the line off Cards' skipper Steve West and six minutes later United's luck was in again.

Paul Parry chased Chris Lane's pass-cum-cross as it hung in the air and was rewarded when West blasted a clearance off the young winger and into the net.

Hereford began to believe they could salvage something from the game but could not turn possession into chances and in the first minute of stoppage time Woking struck again. They caught United on the break and, when the assistant referee failed to spot Akrour's off-side infringement, the striker made no mistake to seal victory.

Hereford: Quy, Lane, Sturgess, Clarke, James, White, Rodgerson, Snape, May, Elmes, Parry (Williams 72 min). Subs not used: Rudall, Taylor, Warren, Shirley.

Woking: Flahaven, Miller, Alighieri, West, R Smith, S Smith, Perkins, Wilkinson, Akrour, Hay, Steele (Bolt 82). Subs not used: Panter, Charles, P Smith, Bullen.

Referee: K Barnes (Swindon).

Attendance: 2,216.