HEREFORD United boss Graham Turner is urging his players not to lose two games in a row when they take on play-off chasing Stockport County tomorrow.

The Bulls missed the chance to go top of League Two on Tuesday night when they crashed to a 1-0 defeat at Dagenham and Redbridge.

With that result now gone, the Edgar Street side must make sure that they do not lose ground on the leaders MK Dons.

"It is not going to be easy against Stockport but we must make sure that we don't lose two on the trot," Turner said.

"They are up there in the play-off places so we have to make sure that we are ready for them."

The defeat in Essex brought Hereford's five-match unbeaten run to an end which had seen them close the gap on the one-time runaway table-toppers to just two points.

But with the season nearing its conclusion, Turner knows that they cannot afford anymore slip-ups.

"We are at the business end of the season," he said. "There are no second chances and maybe there was that little bit of extra pressure on Tuesday when we had the chance to go top.

"We have to start again because we are at the stage where every point counts."

Turner yesterday boosted his squad by extending the loan period of hot-shot striker Gary Hooper from Southend United.

With six goals in seven games, Hooper was due to head back to Roots Hall after tomorrow's clash but Turner has managed to persuade Steve Tilson to let the 20-year-old stay at Edgar Street until the end of the campaign.

Hooper has formed a devastating partnership with Sherjill MacDonald, on-loan from West Bromwich Albion, and Turner will need his new strikers to continue their rich vein of form if they are to achieve their goal of automatic promotion.

Stockport have been a little inconsistent of late and that is something that has left manager Jim Gannon frustrated, but he was delighted with the 2-0 victory at Accrington Stanley last Saturday.

County have won their last six matches on the road and Hereford will need to make sure that they bring that run to an abrupt end and keep their dream of promotion to League One alive.

Stockport will be without big striker Matty McNeil as he continues to struggle with a knee injury, however, Liam Dickinson has continued to fire in the goals for the Hatters.