HEREFORD cemented their position in the Nationwide Conference play-off spots while rarely getting out of first gear against their struggling Sussex opponents at Edgar Street on Saturday.

By playing some energetic and committed football, Crawley belied their lowly place in the league and looked set to grab a deserved point until a fine header from Guy Ipoua three minutes from time handed the Bulls the win.

With on-loan Daryl Taylor ruled out by a groin injury, Craig Stanley took over on the right of midfield.

The resulting lack of balance in the centre of the park was not improved when Rob Purdie succumbed to the effects of a virus and had to be replaced on 40 minutes.

Purdie should be fit for tomorrow's LDV Vans Trophy northern semi-final clash at Macclesfield if his illness follows the same pattern as that of Tamika Mkandawire, who had to leave training on Friday but was fit to turn out the following day.

But the news is less positive about Adam Stansfield who sustained a hip injury which may well keep him out of the action at Macclesfield.

Stansfield, whose departure from the fray at least had the benefit of allowing the return of Ipoua, played a major part in Hereford's opening goal after seven minutes.

The striker's inter-change with Andy Williams ricocheted off a pair of home defenders to leave the teenager in the clear.

Williams neatly side-stepped goalkeeper Phil Smith and held off the attentions of defender Ben Judge to slide the ball into the empty net.

This might have been the signal for Hereford to press on and take Crawley apart but instead the game lapsed into a scrappiness which was at times hard to watch.

Crawley had a great chance to level the scores, though, on 18 minutes when Dean Beckwith, apparently blinded by the low sun, missed a clearance and allowed Steve Burton to race through.

The Crawley forward slipped the ball to his strike partner Chris Giles who dragged his shot across goal and wide from a great position.

The best other Hereford effort of the half came from Purdie who raced into the area but cracked a powerful shot into the side-netting.

After the break, Crawley pressed forward in search of an equaliser which almost came on 55 minutes when Giles' header clipped the bar on its way over.

But their moment arrived eight minutes later when Andy Ferrell and Jamie Pitman lost the ball in midfield and Danny Brown lashed home a first-time 30-yard shot which his namesake Wayne in the Hereford goal did not see.

That seemed to be the end of the goalscoring until a moment of magic from Ipoua three minutes from time settled the issue.

The Cameroonian found the space to time his leap perfectly to head substitute Danny Carey-Bertram's cross over Smith to seal what could turn out to be three crucial points.

HEREFORD: Brown, Travis, Mkandawire, Beckwith, Jeannin, Purdie (Carey-Bertram 40), Stanley, Pitman, Ferrell, Williams (James 90), Stansfield (Ipoua 61). Subs not used: Mawson, Evans.

ATTENDANCE: 2,782.