Stratford 17 pts Hereford 26.

HEREFORD’S march towards a play-off position in Midlands 2 West continued with a hard-earned victory at Stratford.

In a tough, exciting encounter against a side who refused to capitulate like some recent opponents, the Wyesiders finally prevailed in a see-saw game.

Playing against the breeze in the first half, Hereford defended well until the 25th minute when the hosts ran in a try under the posts, but crucially failed with the easy conversion.

A penalty by outside-half Dean Powell reduced the arrears and Hereford just failed a couple of times to cross the line when Stratford caught the man and ball with men outside waiting to be released.

But the visitors did take the lead when second-row forward Richard Preece ran 30 yards to score beneath the posts and Powell added the points for a 10-5 lead at the turnaround.

Hereford pressed in the first period of the second half and two more penalties from the boot of Powell gave them a 16-5 advantage by the hour.

The lead was an uneasy one, though, and following a lapse at the lineout Stratford scored an unconverted try.

Buoyed by this success, the hosts rolled over another lineout and scored a try which was this time converted to lead 17-16 with 12 minutes to go.

But Hereford rose to the challenge and found a perhaps unlikely matchwinner in replacement prop Harry Jenkins. Powell made an incisive inside break and passed to wing Des White who drew the cover before releasing Jenkins for the game’s pivotal try.

Powell converted and increased his personal tally to 16 points with a penalty five minutes from time to take the visitors more than a converted try margin away from their resilient opponents.

The 26-17 victory was a seventh success on the trot for the resurgent Hereford side.