AS expected, young Hereford United striker Andy Williams has joined the Edgar Street exodus after signing a three-year deal with League 2 Bristol Rovers.

After last week's decision to withdraw the offer of a contract to Simon Travis, the Bulls can now only call on the services of Wayne Brown and Dean Beckwith of those who figured in the Conference play-off win at Leicester just 14 months ago..

Ryan Green is also with Bristol Rovers, Tamika Mkandawire with Leyton Orient, Alex Jeannin trialling at Oxford United, Craig Stanley with Morecambe, Andy Ferrell with Kidderminster, Rob Purdie with Darlington, Adam Stansfield with Exeter, Stuart Fleetwood and Jamie Pitman both with Forest Green Rovers, Tony James with Burton Albion and Craig Mawson with Halifax while Guy Ipoua was last heard of playing for Llanelli.

Of that promotion-winning side, Williams, who turned down a move to Rovers in January after the Bulls had accepted an offer of £150,000, is the only one who will bring a transfer fee to the Edgar Street coffers. A six-figure fee has now been agreed for the young striker with a 20% sell-on clause operating in the event of Williams moving on again.

After a handful of substitute appearances, Williams made his full Conference debut for United against Woking in November 2005, scoring the opening goal and quickly going on to make himself an indispensable part of the Bulls' set-up.

He ended the season as the club's top-scorer with 10 Conference goals and 15 from all matches, including a superb diving header in the play-off final at the Walkers Stadium.

During United's first-season back in the league, only Alan Connell (nine) scored more than Williams' eight goals and the 20-year-old marksman suffered the handicap - in terms of his goalscoring, at least - of playing on the right of midfield for much of the season.

His adaptability in that respect enabled him to produce the performance of the season with a devastating demonstration of wing-play as the Bulls demolished Lincoln 4-1 at Sincil Bank.

When at the top of his game, as he was that night, Williams was without doubt one of the major talents to have turned out for the Bulls in recent seasons.

His dazzling skills and speed of thought and deed in the front line will prove hard to replace in the Hereford front line.

In all, Andy Williams scored 24 goals for the Bulls from 104 appearances, 31 of which were made from the substitutes' bench.

The versatile Travis was, at the time of his departure, Hereford's longest-serving player, having arrived from Stevenage in February 2004.

Previously, he had played for Torquay, Stockport, Telford and Forest Green Rovers as well as picking up caps for the England National Game Xl.

Although principally a full-back, able to slot in on either side, Travis was also capable of playing in midfield, a role he occupied to good effect in the play-off final where his cross brought United's second equaliser for Ipoua.

His marauding attacking runs and pacy defending have been a feature of United's play during the last four seasons in which he made a total of 131 appearances, 12 from the substitutes' bench, scoring four times.