HEREFORD were without Toumani Diagouraga for the first time this season for their League 1 trip to Yeovil.

The influential midfielder’s illness absence paved the way for a first League start for teenager Craig Jones.

Centre-back Josh Gowling was also absent, leading to a recall at the heart of the defence for Richard Rose alongside Dean Beckwith.

And with Febian Brandy suffering from the same illness bug as Diagouraga and Gowling, Andy Williams made a welcome return in attack.

Hereford: Gulacsi; Gwynne, Rose, Beckwith, Taylor; Myrie-Williams, Smith, Jones, Done; Guinan, Williams. Subs not used: Veiga, O’Leary, D’Agostino, Pugh, MacLeod.

Yeovil: Weale; Hutchins, Peltier, Brown, Smith; Warne, Murtagh, Schofield, Townsend; Obika, Tomlin. Subs not used: Wagenaar, Welsh, Alcock, Rodgers, Maguire.

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands).