Barnet 3 Hereford United 0 DEFEATS away from home have been relatively rare for Hereford so their hammering at Underhill in League 2 came as something of as surprise.

The Bulls had not lost away in league action since October 8 last year but never looked like gaining anything at Barnet as they produced an under-par showing all over the field.

Against opponents who had previously failed to pick up a single point from their three games, Hereford looked more like the strugglers as they lost by three clear goals for the first time since January 2005.

The danger signals started to flash as early as the fourth minute when Tresor Kandol lashed a shot from 25 yards just over Scott Tynan's goal.

But Hereford held their own for the next phase and Stuart Fleetwood forced a good, low save from goalkeeper Scott Harrison after Tim Sills played him in.

Barnet, however, benefited from the afternoon's first piece of defensive slackness on 27 minutes.

Phil Gulliver left the dangerous Giuliano Grazioli in yards of space and the striker gathered in a pass from Ian Hendon before advancing to rifle an unstoppable drive past Tynan.

The on-loan keeper saved well from Dean Sinclair shortly afterwards but Hereford looked exposed again just before the break when only a desperate clearance prevented Nicky Bailey's header from finding the net.

Tynan produced another good save on the hour, tipping over a shot from Jason Puncheon, but was beaten again two minutes later.

The Hereford defence allowed Bailey to run across the area and the midfielder had the space to swivel and shoot back across goal into the corner of the net.

With the game drifting out of reach, Hereford boss Graham Turner used all of his three substitutes in a bid to retrieve something and veteran midfielder Simon Osborn gained his first outing in a United shirt.

But, as often happens with a side chasing the game, Hereford were caught on the counter-attack and Puncheon cracked home from the edge of the area to round off a thoroughly disappointing afternoon.

Hereford: Tynan; Travis, Gulliver (Connell, 80 min), Beckwith, Giles; Williams, Ferrell (McClenahan, 71 min), Rose (Osborn, 71 min), Purdie; Sills, Fleetwood. Subs not used: Lewis, Wallis.

Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire)