Hereford United picked up three badly-needed points with Tuesday's victory which hoisted them five places up to 18th in the Nationwide League Third Division table. But they had to endure two nerve-racking moments in injury time before they could celebrate their third league win of the season.

Teenager Gary Cook, who otherwise showed plenty of promise in a midfield role, lost possession in trying to engineer a Hereford attack. It resulted in Scunthorpe gaining their ninth and 10th corners of the match, from which Andy DeBont twice had to make fine saves to foil headers from Chris Hope.

The gate of 1,785 was the lowest of the season at Edgar Street but those there saw a game which swept rapidly from end to end with plenty of goalmouth incident. In the ninth minute David D'Auria put the ball in Hereford's net but referee Trevor Jones had already whistled for a foul by Iain Dunn on DeBont.

wrestler's neck-lock. The referee unhesitatingly awarded Hereford a penalty which Dean Smith promptly converted. In the 52nd minute the Bulls increased their lead after Gareth Stoker's sheer determination took him surging along the right flank. His centre shot up off Hope to Mark Hibbard who scored his first Football League goal with a header which deflected off Sertori.

Fifteen minutes later former Hereford player Russell Bradley reduced arrears, ramming a header past DeBont from another of Gavin's dangerous flag-kicks. In the 75th minute Hereford regained their two-goal lead with the best move of the game. Phil Preedy sent Hargreaves galloping away on the left for his low cross to be swept home by Adrian Foster.

But it was still not all over. Substitute Kirk Jackson made it 3-2 in the 85th minute with a messy goal. John Brough looked to have robbed him, but he regained the ball and then scored from a rebound off DeBont's legs.

United director of football Graham Turner's comment was: ''There was a lot of fluidity in our play. We created a fair number of chances and Chris Hargreaves had his best game for us. But I could have done without those two late corners.'' Hereford: DeBont, Norton, Smith, Brough, Forsyth, Hibbard, Cook, Stoker, Hargreaves, Adrian Foster, Preedy (Ian Foster 88 min). Subs not used: Sutton, Mahon.

Attendance: 1,785.