HEREFORD won away from home for the first time this season with goals from Steve Guinan and Lionel Ainsworth.

It was the Bulls’ first away success at this level of football in a dismal run stretching back more than 30 games to April 1976.

Goalkeeper Chris Weale and central defender Josh Gowling, both loan signings, were included for their Bulls debuts.

There was a recall, too, for Ainsworth, now happily recovered from a knee injury among a total of four changes which saw Guinan restored to the front line.

Colchester had the ball in the net after just four minutes but Jermaine Easter was clearly offside when he beat Weale.

Mark Yeates and Easter then struck long-range efforts wide of the target as Hereford were pressed back.

But it was the Bulls who forced the first corner of the match on 14 minutes.

Ainsworth’s flag-kick was half cleared by Clive Platt and Ben Smith drove the loose ball wide of an upright.

Yeates twice went close as Colchester tried to break the deadlock but only a fine challenge at the other end robbed Matt Done of a chance when the Bulls winger raced clear.

Hereford opened the scoring on 27 minutes when Dean Beckwith won Ainsworth’s corner in the air and the ball fell to Guinan who crashed home Hereford’s first away league goal since August 30.

Nine minutes later Hereford, who had scored just twice on their travels this season prior to the Colchester trip, doubled their tally for the campaign.

Toumani Diagouraga headed the ball through for Ainsworth to clip home a crisp right-foot shot.

Yeates and Johnnie Jackson both fired wide as the home side tried to get a foothold in the game before the interval.

Colchester needed a boost at the start of the second period and it almost came when Keates turned Richard Jackson inside out before sending a shot across goal and wide.

But Hereford, exposing the space left by Colchester’s attacking ambition, were dangerous on the break and Watford loanee Ainsworth volleyed over from one promising position.

The winger then raced away from the home defence but delivered his cross behind the United attackers.

Smith then had a shot well blocked by Jimmy Walker from another good move.

Platt forced a good save from Weale with a shot on the turn after 68 minutes.

The home side were back in the game two minutes later when Easter cracked in a shot from the edge of the area.

Ainsworth, however, could have put the result beyond doubt when he sped into the area, only to bring a flying save from Walker.

Hereford were continually being pressed back, though, and it took a fine save from Bristol City custodian Weale to prevent Anthony Wordsworth from equalising.

Hereford withstood four minutes of stoppage time before celebrating their overdue success.

Hereford: Weale; Jackson, Beckwith, Gowling, Taylor; Ainsworth (Gwynne, 84 min), Smith, Diagouraga, Done (Johnson, 84 min); Guinan, Williams. Subs not used: Samson, Rose, Chadwick.

Referee: Andy Hall (West Midlands).

Attendance: 4,794.