HEREFORD United are up to second place in the Nationwide Conference after extending their unbeaten league run to nine matches.

The Bulls were given a tough battle by promotion rivals Halifax Town and clinched the win with Adam Stansfield's eighth goal of the season 12 minutes from time.

On the balance of play, the victory was no more than Hereford deserved after forcing the better of the opportunities in a hard-working display which gradually wore their opponents down.

Hereford made four changes from the previous week's defeat, including Stansfield, goalkeeper Wayne Brown, Dean Beckwith and Andy Ferrell but were without Rob Purdie for the first time this season after the midfielder went down with a sickness bug the previous night.

Halifax were the first to threaten, however, when Matt Doughty surged through the midfield on five minutes before powering in a strong shot which goalkeeper Wayne Brown did well to push around a post.

Hereford, though, had the better of the chances and their first real opening arrived on 14 minutes.

Andy Williams, dropped back to the right of midfield to accommodate new signing Stuart Fleetwood in attack, played a perceptive through-ball to Stansfield.

The former Yeovil man was racing through on goal but keeper Jon Kennedy was quickly off his line to claim the ball.

Eleven minutes later, Kennedy foiled United again, diving to his right to turn a shot from Alex Jeannin, which took a cruel deflection, around a post.

But the Bulls were certainly not having things all their own way and shortly before the interval Brown produced another good stop from a Danny Forrest shot.

Forrest's opening was created by a strong run from former Bull John Grant who was a handful for the Hereford defence all afternoon.

Goalkeeper Kennedy came to Halifax's rescue again on the hour, diving to brilliantly parry from Nicky Nicolau's shot after Stansfield's pass had split the Shaymen's defence.

Kennedy's previous excellence was blotted, however, when he was clearly at fault with the decisive goal.

The 'keeper spilled the ball from Fleetwood's cross and Craig Stanley reacted first, back-heeling across goal to where Stansfield was lurking two yards out to prod into the net.

Hereford continued to press forward and might easily have extended their lead in the closing stages. Stansfield received the ball after some fine work by substitute Daryl Taylor and thrashed a shot across the goal and just wide of an upright.

Then, three minutes from time, Williams, who had moved back into the attack after Simon Travis replaced Fleetwood, surged past Adam Quinn but drove his shot from a narrow angle into the side-netting.

HEREFORD: Brown; Green, Mkandawire, Beckwith, Jeannin; Williams, Ferrell, Stanley, Nicolau (Taylor 79); Stansfield, Fleetwood (Travis 84). Subs not used: Mawson, Gwynne, Carey-Bertram.

ATTENDANCE: 2,555.