Hereford warmed up for their FA Cup replay at Leicester City in the wrong fashion with this defeat and dropped three places to 12th in the Nationwide Conference.

But they played their part in an entertaining game and had enough chances to take the lead in the first-half, with Leroy May wasting two glorious opportunities.

The match was in doubt until a late pitch inspection, with frost having a firm grip, and United director of football Graham Turner made late changes. Chris Lane, Paul Fewings and Paul Parry all dropped to the substitutes' bench and Mark Taylor was not considered fit enough to play.

May's first opportunity came in the 13th minute when he raced clear of the defence, but his weak effort went straight at Andy Woods in the Scarborough goal.

Scarborough, managed by former Bulls boss Colin Addison, had Chris Tate making his debut following an £80,000 move from Halifax Town and he and fellow striker Steve Brodie caused problems for the United defence.

Mark Jones denied Brodie when he broke at pace into the penalty area and Tate looped a shot onto the top of the bar. Tate then set up the first goal when his header hit the bar and former Hereford man Gareth Stoker volleyed in from just inside the penalty area.

Tony James saw a back-header float just over the bar as Hereford pushed forward and he looked dangerous, especially from set-pieces. Ian Wright brought the best out of Woods from one of these, as he pushed a firm header over the bar, but it was May who was causing most problems. He got the better of Paul Ellender, but Woods came racing from his line to brilliantly block his effort at close range.

After the break, United saw less of the ball and, when Tate turned to send Brodie into the penalty area, Jones was beaten by a fine cross-shot which nestled just inside the post.

This goal signalled a double substitution, with James Wall, who had been impressive in the first half but was fading, replaced by Parry, and Fewings by Rob Elmes. The changes had little effect, although John Snape saw his clever chip shot saved by Woods at full stretch.

Scarborough's third goal came when Brodie's persistence won a loose ball, but his cross rather fortuitously found David Bass, whose left-footed shot beat Jones from the edge of the area.

Hereford: Jones, Clarke, Wright, James, Sturgess, Rodgerson, Snape, Wall (Parry 62 min), Williams, Elmes (Fewings 62 min), May. Subs not used: Lane, Rudall, Shirley.

Scarborough: Woods, Russell (Morris 85 min), Harriott, Jones, Ellender, Betts, Bass, Stoker, Brodie (Roberts 85 min), Williams (Gildea 85 min), Tate. Subs not used: Martin, Rennison.

Referee: H Webb (Rotherham).

Attendance: 1,242.