HEREFORD United make the long journey to Peterborough United on Saturday safe in the knowledge they will be playing League Two football next season.

Last weekend's 3-0 victory over Boston United was the Bulls' first win in nine games and ended any fears of relegation.

Steve Guinan's 56th-minute effort, his 50th in United colours, also brought a welcome end to 630 minutes without a league goal, a new club record.

United chief Graham Turner said: "We were in desperate need of that result and of a goal. We created a club record for the longest period without scoring and that is something we did not want.

"But that is over now and, while we still have three games to go, we can start the preparations for next season in earnest."

Hereford head to London Road without defender Dean Beckwith, who is serving the second of a two-game ban, and long-term injury casualty Martyn Giles.

Midfielder Rob Purdie and defender Simon Travis are both expected to be fit despite missing training sessions this week with groin and Achilles problems respectively.

And with safety assured, the Edgar Street club are now looking to finish as high as they can, which could see them reach 63 points.

Although they cannot reach the play-offs, Turner has expressed concerns over his side's inability to take advantage of situations over the course of this season.

He said: "One thing that concerns me is that when we have been within striking distance of the play-off places, we have failed.

"Early in the season, had we won at Barnet we could have gone into the top seven and it was the same a few weeks later at Mansfield. They were, without doubt, our two worst performances of the season.

"Then, coming into the final run-in, we had a great opportunity of making the play-offs and that coincided with becoming the worst form team in the division.

"When we had a great chance to kick on, we failed and that could indicate a soft underbelly to the side.

"We might almost dismiss that feeling that we were a bit soft at crucial times by the fact that we are, in the main, a very young side and it has been a learning curve for some of the players.

"For quite a few it has been their first Football League season and at times it was quite testing. But some came through with quite a lot of credit."

Peterborough still harbour hopes of the play-offs and have captain Micah Hyde back.

Player-boss Darren Ferguson, son of Sir Alex, was once signed by Turner at Wolves.