HEREFORD made a spirited late rally but could not make up the deficit created by a lack-lustre display in the first period against their high-flying Powergen Midlands 2 West hosts.

Stafford's big pack immediately showed their strength with a couple of early strikes against the head. Hereford were forced to defend and when their flanker strayed off-side Stafford punished them with a successful penalty.

Strong home forward play continued to pose a threat and Stafford were awarded a penalty try when Hereford were adjudged to have broken too early as the big Stafford pack wheeled a five-metre scrum.

The visitors hit back with a penalty from full-back Colin Osborne after Stafford killed the ball.

Stafford extended their lead when they scored two tries in quick succession. Good lineout possession saw the ball moved swiftly across the line for the winger to score a converted corner try and then a flanker drove off a maul for an unconverted score.

Any hopes of Hereford getting back into the game early in the second period were dashed when a Stafford winger intercepted on his own 22-metre line and sprinted away for an unconverted corner try.

Within minutes another interception, this time by the alert Stafford scrum-half, saw the speedy winger released for another long dash to score a second unconverted try.

Hereford did not drop their heads and produced an excellent passage of play to create two tries. The first came when they took quick possession off the top of the lineout and moved the ball swiftly along the backs for Osborne, who had timed his run to perfection, to burst through for a fine try.

Another good lineout take by lock Jamie Bullock gave the visiting pack the opportunity to drive at the Stafford line and substitute number eight Mark Morrison broke off a rolling maul to crash over. Osborne narrowly failed with both conversions.