RYAN BARTLEY’S first minute strike helped Hereford FC bounce back from two straight defeats to earn a comfortable 4-0 win against Marine.

Mariners’ goalkeeper Matthew Corran was helpless as Ryan Bartley rifled in his shot from 20 yards out before Jason Cowley marked his return from injury with a goal of his own on 16 minutes.

Andy Williams came off the bench to seal the points by heading in Hereford’s third before Mark Derricott opened his Bulls account in stoppage time to round off a fine afternoon for Paul Caddis’ side.

Only 30 seconds were on the clock when Adam Rooney’s quick throw-in was pounced on by Cowley before eventually finding Bartley on the edge of the box who subsequently fired the ball into the bottom corner for the opening goal.

Marine responded swiftly with Kristi Montgomery pinching the ball in midfield before finding Enock Lusiama but he was unable to get his shot off before Lewis Hudson challenged him.

Hereford doubled their advantage nine minutes later when Cowley, returning from a long injury lay-off, headed in Lawson D’Ath’s corner after goalkeeper Corran failed to come and claim the ball.

The Mariners had a chance to halve the deficit on 33 minutes when James Brown’s cross found Matthew Waters inside the box, but he could only send his effort over from close range.

The Bulls looked to extend their lead in the second half, with Cosmos Matwasa’s chipped cross from the byline on 51 minutes narrowly missing the head of Cowley before Tom Atcheson cleared.

With 15 minutes remaining, a free-kick in a promising position for Marine saw Finlay Sinclair-Smith step-up to take, sending his effort just over the crossbar.

Williams all but sealed three points for Hereford in the 77th minute when he latched onto a fine cross from fellow substitute Alex Babos and headed past Corran for his fifth league goal.

Neil Young’s side were close to grabbing a consolation on 87 minutes after Owen Robinson picked out an unmarked Bradley Holmes inside the area, but his miscued header flew wide.

Paul Caddis’ side added a fourth in the fifth minute of stoppage time when late substitute Derricott nodded in D’Ath’s corner for his first goal in Hereford colours, sealing a commanding victory for the Bulls.

Hereford: Donaghy, Hudson, Preston, Howkins (Derricott 90 + 3), Bartley, Teixeira, D'Ath, Matwasa (Williams 76), Rooney (Babos 72), Ceesay (Rose 74), Cowley Unused subs: Horton