Hereford United's mini-revival gathered pace at Underhill on Saturday with a 3-2 Nationwide Division 3 win over fellow-strugglers Barnet. United stretched their unbeaten run to four matches, in which they have gained 10 points from a possible 12, after surviving a frenetic last quarter of an hour.

The home side, who had not gained a single corner in the first 75 minutes, rallied to force nine in quick succession as they set up camp in the Hereford penalty area. Despite all that late pressure, it would have been an injustice if Hereford had taken anything less than three points from a game in which their domination had been almost total for long periods. The visitors went in front from their first corner after 11 minutes. Skipper David Norton's flag-kick was flicked on by Mika Kottila at the near post and seemed to be going into the net as Adrian Foster bundled the ball home. Foster later claimed the goal and the referee gave him his support.

Kottila, although keen to notch his first goal for the club, took the incident philosophically. ''The most important thing is that we won,'' he said. Trevor Matthewson went close to adding to the lead when he thundered a Rob Warner centre against the cross-bar, but it was Barnet who were next to score when Linvoy Primus moved up from centre back to head home a Paul Wilson free-kick. Chris Hargreaves and Dean Smith went close to restoring Hereford's lead before the break but, despite continuous pressure, the deserved goal just wouldn't come.

Six minutes into the second half, Foster found himself unmarked from a Warner corner but mis-directed his header wide when it seemed easier to score. However, just four minutes afterwards, Hargreaves met another Warner corner in an almost identical spot and this time headed into the net.

United seemed to have the game sewn up on 70 minutes when Foster latched on to a through ball from the excellent Keith Downing and calmly directed his right-foot shot wide of keeper Lee Harrison into the corner of the net. The Barnet resistance, though, was far from over and, after 73 minutes, the lively Sean Devine, a constant danger to the Hereford defence, burst through and was brought down by the advancing Trevor Wood.

Referee Mick Pierce pointed to the penalty spot and, as the crowd bayed for the United keeper to be sent off, showed Wood the yellow card. ''I'd have been disappointed if he had been sent off as Devine was going a long way from goal,'' said Hereford director of football Graham Turner afterwards.

Wilson scored from the spot and set up the storming finish, but United held on for the win which keeps them 10 points clear of bottom-placed Brighton and moves them up to 20th place. ''I think we deserved to win and I'm pleased with the performance,'' said Turner. ''We had to withstand a lot of pressure but it all seems to be coming together slowly.''

Hereford: Wood, Norton, Fishlock, Smith, Beeston, Matthewson, Hargreaves, Warner, A Foster, Kottila (Brough 70 mins), Downing. Subs now used: I Foster, Pitman.

Attendance: 2,439.