THREE goals in the last 11 minutes ensured Hereford United racked up their third successive away victory.

And the win was nothing less than the Bulls deserved as, in the end, they romped home with goals from Trevor Benjamin - who has scored in all three of the away victories - Lionel Ainsworth and Luke Webb.

For the latter pair, it was the first time they have been on the scoresheet in the Football League.

Hereford looked dangerous in the opening stages and Ainsworth might have scored three times in the first 10 minutes.

On two occasions he flashed shots narrowly wide and then headed just over when Steve Guinan flicked on a Kris Taylor throw.

The first period produced plenty of entertaining football and the home side, who stood one place ahead of the Bulls in the table before the start of play, had their share of openings.

The best of these came in the 33rd minute when the lively Garry Thompson skated past Taylor on the right before delivering a cross which Matt Blinkhorn headed just wide.

Hereford, however, pressed strongly in the lead-up to the interval and Guinan headed a Taylor cross into the side-netting on 41 minutes.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, the powerful Benjamin bustled through before firing just over from the edge of the area.

The Bulls resumed as they had left off at the start of the second period and, in the opening attack, Ainsworth raced through before firing weakly into the arms of goalkeeper Joe Lewis. United maintained their dominance in the next phase of play and long-range efforts from Benjamin, Taylor and Ainsworth ensured that there was no rest for the Shrimps defence.

But, for all their good work, Hereford should have fallen behind on 74 minutes.

Substitute Michael Twiss, so often in the past a cause of problems for Hereford, pulled back a cross to Damian Allen who, somehow, managed to shoot over the bar from an unmarked position 12 yards out.

After that, it was all Hereford and the Bulls took the lead five minutes later.

Guinan slipped a pass through to Ben Smith whose cross to the far post was headed in bravely by the diving Benjamin.

Five minutes later, Ainsworth sprinted clear of the home defence to slip the second past Lewis from the edge of the area.

And Hereford's dominance was complete three minutes into injury time when Guinan got away on the left and his cross was clipped in from close-range by Webb.

Hereford: Brown; Rose, Beckwith, Broadhurst, Taylor; Ainsworth (Webb 90), Smith, Diagouraga, Easton; Guinan, Benjamin (Johnson 85). Subs not used: Brown, McCombe, Gwynne.

Referee: M Haywood (West Yorks).

Attendance: 2,949 (235 from Hereford).