HEREFORD strengthened their position among the promotion pack as they gained revenge for a 4-0 battering by their Derbyshire opponents less than a month ago.

On-loan strikers Sherjill MacDonald and Gary Hooper were again the key as they crashed in the goals in the first period.

Hereford were forced to make two changes with Toumani Diagouraga and Lee Collins ruled out by injury.

As Ben Smith was still sidelined, Kris Taylor continued in the centre of the Hereford midfield with Sam Gwynne alongside him.

Dean Beckwith returned after recovering from a hip injury to partner John McCombe in central defensive.

Hereford took the lead from one of their first real attacks in the eighth minute.

Taylor's chip into the box was neatly flicked on by Clint Easton and the ball was bundled into the net by MacDonald.

It was the on-loan striker's sixth goal in only his third game for the Bulls.

Chesterfield could, however, have drawn level four minutes later when Alan O'Hare shot wide from a good position after Steve Fletcher headed him clear.

Fletcher himself then went close, sending a looping header from Jamie Ward's cross just over Wayne Brown's bar.

Hereford, though, continued to look lively in attack and, when Simon Johnson was brought down, 25 yards out, Easton's free-kick seemed goalbound before being deflected out for a corner.

The Bulls looked fortunate to survive in the 37th minute when Ward, in trying to get past Beckwith, appeared to be brought down in the area. Referee Tony Bates was, however, unimpressed.

Hereford stormed straight back downfield and Taylor shot wide from a good position.

The penalty incidents then evened themselves up when Hooper seemed to be impeded from getting in his shot by Phil Picken after a fine pass by MacDonald had set his strike partner free.

Hooper had his moment, however, in first-half injury-time when he picked up the pieces from Easton's free-kick and rifled the ball home for his fourth goal in successive matches.

Chesterfield, as expected, piled on the pressure at the start of the second period.

But, although the visitors dominated possession, they were rarely able to threaten the home goal.

Brown's only real moment of anxiety, during the early exchanges of the half, came 10 minutes into the period when a Kevin Cooper shot from 20 yards flashed narrowly wide of an upright.

Hereford maintained their attacking threat, if only sporadically, and almost extended their lead on 62 minutes.

From an Easton corner, MacDonald timed his run perfectly to power in a header which goalkeeper Michael Jordan beat out from point-blank range.

Brown was finally drawn into the action on 78 minutes, diving to parry away for a corner from Lloyd Kerry's low drive.

But, after that, Hereford held on for the three points without further alarm.

A win tomorrow night against Wrexham would see the Bulls move to the top of the table for the first time this season.

Hereford: Brown; McClenahan, Beckwith, McCombe, Rose; Johnson, Taylor, Gwynne (Threlfall 46), Easton; MacDonald (Robinson 74), Hooper (Benjamin 80). Subs not used: Ingham, Broadhurst.

Chesterfield: Jordan; Maloney, Kovacs, Downes, Picken; Cooper (Allison 80), Winter, Lowry (Kerry 12), O'Hare; Fletcher, Ward. Subs not used: Roche, Gray, Kerry, Williams, Allison.

Referee: Tony Bates (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 3,503.