HEREFORD FC fell to a second away league defeat of the season as Charlie Caton’s header inside the first minute helped Chester to a 3-0 win.
Just 40 seconds were on the clock when Caton headed home Will Hugill’s cross before Tom Peers doubled his side’s advantage just past the hour mark.
With the Bulls struggling to create clear cut chances, Caton added a third 16 minutes from time to secure all three points for the Seals.
Looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat against Curzon Ashton, the home side got off to a perfect start when an unmarked Caton powered in Hugill’s fine cross from six yards out for an early lead.
Hereford sought to respond swiftly when Tate Campbell tried his luck from range but the deflected effort was comfortably saved by Seals goalkeeper Elyh Harrison.
Former Bull, Mitch Hancox, saw his whipped cross into the box on 12 minutes find Caton who had leapt above Matt Preston, but he was unable to direct his header goalwards.
After a quiet period in the game, a neat turn and shot from Peers on the edge of the area forced Aaron Chapman to produce a fine save to deny the deflected effort on 40 minutes.
Chester almost made it two when Caton was played through on goal by Jack Bainbridge but the combination of a Chapman save and Preston’s goal-line clearance denied the striker.
The subsequent corner in first half stoppage time saw Chapman in action once more after Peers rifled the ball goalwards, with a superb one-handed save keeping the deficit to one.
The Bulls continued to search for an equaliser in the second half, with Alex Babos going close on 54 minutes when his free-kick from 25 yards out flew inches over the crossbar.
Debutant Hugill was close to doubling his side’s advantage in the 57th minute when he was fed inside the box but Chapman was on hand again to save down low to his right-hand side.
The hosts would have their second goal, though, five minutes later when Nathan Woodthorpe’s cross was met by the head of Peers who powered the ball into the top corner.
And the game was finally put beyond the reach of Hereford after 74 minutes when Harrison Burke’s inviting low cross was tapped in by Caton for his second goal of the afternoon.
Hereford: Chapman, Hudson, Preston (D'Ath 64), Howkins, Bartley, Campbell, Babos (Deacon 72), Teixeira (Matwasa 64), Ceesay, Williams (Cowley 61), Rose (Tilt 81)
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