Hereford dramatically reasserted their GM Vauxhall Conference championship credentials with an overwhelming thrashing of the highly-fancied home team on Saturday. In racking up their first haul of five or more away goals since a 6-0 hammering of Burnley 10 years ago, when, as he did on Saturday, Ian Rodgerson filled the right-back berth, United inflicted the heaviest Conference defeat on a side who were many pundits' tip for the title.

On-loan Andy Milner wrote himself into the record books by hitting the Bulls' first Conference hat-trick and also became the first player in recent memory to score a treble both for and against Hereford in competitive action - he had helped himself to three for Rochdale in a 5-2 win at Spotland seven years ago.

But Hereford's travelling supporters could hardly have predicted the outcome when, after just two minutes, home midfielder Brian Healy waltzed through a static Hereford defence and shook off Jamie Pitman's challenge before firing past debutant goalkeeper Andy Quy. Healy shot narrowly wide from 35 yards shortly and after 14 minutes Quy came out bravely to save at the feet of Mark Ceraolo.

With Hereford fighting back strongly, home goalkeeper Andy Banks made a fine reaction save from a John Brough header before the visitors drew level after 21 minutes. The increasingly impressive Gavin Mahon found Ian Foster in the penalty area and the former Liverpool youngster turned neatly and fired into the bottom corner of the net.

Two minutes before the interval Hereford dese-rvedly took the lead. Brian McGorry raced into the area and, although Banks blocked the midfielder's shot, Milner seized upon the rebound to shoot home.

A minute into the second half Milner increased United's lead when he picked up a long ball from Rodgerson and rounded Banks. With United continuing to press forward, his third was not long coming. Fifty-eight minutes had elapsed when, after neat work by Foster, the on-loan Chester City striker drove home a shot from the edge of the area.

Trevor Matthewson saw a header from a McGorry corner kicked off the line before the home side suffered a further blow when skipper Dave McKearney was dismissed for a second bookable offence after 67 minutes.

Gary Cook's fine header from a Milner cross thudded against the woodwork on 71 minutes but the substitute had the last word, three minutes into injury time, when he neatly chipped Richard Walker's long ball over Banks.

Foster and Walker were shown yellow cards for first-half fouls.

Hereford: Quy, Rodgerson (Williams 85 mins), Fishlock (Warner 75 mins), Pitman, Brough, Matthewson, Walker, McGorry, Milner, Foster (Cook 62 mins), Mahon.

Attendance: 1,860.