Daggers hold on

John Still's Daggers earned themselves a crack at Leicester City at Walkers Stadium in the Second Round after Tuesday night's narrow, but deserved, win at a chilly Victoria Road.

Paul Benson and Ben Strevens, with 16 goals between them this season, foraged purposefully in the early minutes as the home side continually threatened the Hereford goal.

Sam Saunders cut in from the right to aim a left-footer towards the far top corner, but the ball flew well over the top. Almost immediately, on 17 minutes, the winger hit a peach of a cross to a clutch of players in front of goal and Benson leapt highest to nod the ball down inside the left-hand post.

Daggers added a second goal on 33 minutes and it came via a tremendous strike from midfielder Solomon Taiwo. He received the ball in space at least 30 yards out and an instant right-footer soared over the slightly advanced Craig Samson and dipped just under the bar.

Things were clearly looking good for the home side at that point, but only a minute later Hereford reminded them that they had a Cup-tie to win with a goal from former Manchester United starlet Kris Taylor.

Taylor, an England youth cap, was playing at left-back and had barely used his right foot before hitting a low shot with it that eluded an unsighted Tony Roberts and bounced into the net off the far post.

Daggers came close to extending their lead through Matt Ritchie and Saunders in the second half, Samson showing great agility to deny them both from close range.

The visitors brought on all three substitutes as they pushed hard for an equaliser near the end but a Steve Guinan piledriver, pushed away by Roberts, constituted their only real chance.

Daggers' defence gave a battling display to thwart a team from a higher division, with Magnus Okuonghae and skipper Mark Arber immense in the centre.

Attendance 1,409