ADRIAN Foster's 56th-minute goal - his third in his last four matches - gave Hereford their first away win of the season in the Third Division on Tuesday and hoisted them four places up the table to 17th.

It was also their first-ever victory in four trips to the Goldstone Ground which is due to close at the end of this campaign. Brighton, bottom of the league with no new home of their own for next season, had to contend with another demonstration as around half the crowd of 3,444 walked out early in protest of chairman Bill Archer's running of the club.

Fireworks, set off outside the ground, triggered the fans' protest 15 minutes from time, although spectators left the stadium in an orderly fashion. United director of football Graham Turner admitted his side made hard work of their win. He said: ''To get our first away victory of the season is really important but at the moment we have not got the confidence to do well when we go ahead.''

Experienced central defenders Nicky Law and Trevor Matthewson both impressed Turner in only their second match for Hereford and he added: ''We had needed more physically mature players.''

In an evenly contested first half Foster, after being fed by Chris Hargreaves, had the ball in the net on 36 minutes. But the effort was ruled out as John Brough took the ball over the line in his run down the left flank. Denny Mundee denied Hereford defender Dean Smith a certain goal six minutes after the break with a last-gasp clearance, and the winner arrived five minutes later when Foster coolly slotted the ball home following good work by Brough.

In a late rally the Seagulls came close to snatching a point when Peake rifled a 25-yard drive against the bar.

Hereford: DeBont, Norton, Matthewson, Smith, Law, Forsyth, Cook, Stoker, Adrian Foster, Hargreaves, Brough. Subs not used: Hibbard, Warner, Preedy.