HEREFORD survived the sending off of skipper Michael Townsend to secure a last-day point at Macclesfield.

Ryan Green had given the Bulls a first-half lead, but Townsend tripped Matt Hamshaw to earn a red card and concede a penalty from which Lewis Chalmers levelled the scores.

After a scrappy start, Hereford got the ball down and began to play. Nicky Featherstone slipped a pass to Steve Leslie whose shot on the run was deflected behind for a corner.

In the play following the flag-kick, Stuart Fleetwood found some space to chip in a shot which came back off the bar.

Macclesfield had largely been pegged back into their own half but, in the 10th minute, Bulls keeper Adam Bartlett saved when Colin Daniel broke clear.

Hereford were soon back on the attack and a neat pass from Fleetwood set up a powerful Fairhurst shot which former Hereford stopper Jose Veiga blocked.

Bartlett, though, produced an even better stop in the 15th minute when he dived to turn Tyrone Barnett’s shot behind.

Macclesfield had another lucky escape in the 22nd minute when a Joe Colbeck cross slipped from Veiga’s grasp with Green firing the loose ball against the bar from where it bounced back into the keeper’s arms.

Green did not have long to wait before notching his first goal of the season. Fairhurst was brought down on the edge of the box and his free-kick was parried by Veiga, but only to Green who scored from a couple of yards out.

Bartlett had to be alert at the start of the second-half, diving to parry away after Daniel seized on a slip by Stefan Stam.

A blunder by skipper Townsend sent Tyrone Barnett in, but Bartlett came to the rescue.

Townsend was not so lucky in the 55th minute, clipping Hamshaw’s heels in the area and getting a straight red card. Lewis Chalmers rolled the penalty into the corner of the net.

A flowing move from the back almost brought Hereford a second goal as Kenny Lunt fed Fairhurst, who slipped the ball to Green.

The goal-scorer’s shot was half-blocked by Veiga, but the keeper grabbed the ball at the second attempt.

Hereford: Bartlett, Green, Townsend, Stam, Heath, Colbeck (Kovacs 61), Lunt, Featherstone (Purdie 74), Leslie (McQuilkin 83), Fairhurst, Fleetwood. Not used: Hoult, Rose, Canham, Stratford.

Referee: James Linnington (Isle of Wight).