HEREFORD United must do without the services of Alex Jeannin when they travel to the Impact Arena tomorrow night to battle for the right to visit Cambridge City in the FA Cup first round.

Jeannin's 88th-minute yellow card for dissent took him to five cautions for the season and an automatic one-match ban.

The Frenchman vented his fury at referee Phil Gibbs who blew up for a foul on Andy Williams with Andy Ferrell clean through on goal.

It was one of the few occasions when Hereford looked like breaking down a stubborn Alfreton defence although four minutes earlier they had squandered a double chance to break the deadlock.

Jeannin's cross from the left picked out young sub Andy Williams whose firm header was brilliantly pushed away by goalkeeper Adam Legzdins, part of Birmingham City's academy.

But the ball fell for Jamie Pitman and he returned the ball to the six-yard area where Williams' fellow substitute Guy Ipoua was waiting two yards out.

It seemed harder to miss than to score but the Cameroonian somehow scooped the ball yards over the bar and on to the Meadow End terracing.

If that was a glaring error by Hereford, then the visitors could point to one of their own five minutes into the second period.

Bulls skipper Tony James gifted the ball to Jon Stevenson on the right-hand side of the Hereford penalty area, leaving the Alfreton striker in the clear with just Craig Mawson to beat.

Stevenson seemed certain to score but his shot flashed across goal and went out for a goal-kick.

It was Stevenson who wasted Alfreton's best chance of the first period, racing on to a loose pass from Jeannin only to fire straight at Mawson.

But outside of these relatively isolated incidents, Hereford produced most of the attacking play.

Andy Ferrell cracked a shot wide in the 12th minute after a good build-up by Pitman and Rob Purdie, while Danny Carey-Bertram fired into the side-netting 11 minutes later.

Later in the first period, Matt Bailey and Tamika Mkandawire were both off target with headers. At the start of the second-half, Purdie forced a brilliant tip-over from Legzdins and Bailey also tested the goalkeeper with a couple of efforts.

But Hereford were generally wasteful in some good positions with a poor final pass or weak finishing.

The result left Alfreton's Mark Turner, who showed up well in the heart of the Town defence, rather happier than his father, Hereford boss Graham.

The Bulls chief said: "It's very disappointing. We had chances to win the game but now we have got to go and do it at their place."

HEREFORD: Mawson, Green, Mkandawire, James, Jeannin, Brady, Pitman, Ferrell, Purdie, Carey-Bertram (Williams 68), Bailey (Ipoua 68). Subs not used: Beckwith, Stanley, Evans.

ATTENDANCE: 1,768.