Woking 1 Hereford 1

Hereford United moved an important step closer to their third consecutive Nationwide Conference play-off campaign thanks to skipper Tamika Mkandawire's injury-time header.

With results elsewhere proving largely favourable to United's cause, the point earned by Mkandawire's strike means that, with only six games of the season now remaining, the chances of four other clubs overhauling the Bulls have diminished still further.

The major downside to Saturday's display was the loss of club captain Tony James, who limped from the fray shortly after half-time.

James, who has missed a substantial chunk of the season with a strain to one side of his groin, has now strained the other side and faces a further spell on the sidelines.

Hereford boss Graham Turner was, however, able to call upon Dean Beckwith, one of the finds of the season, to fill the gap vacated by James.

With Andy Ferrell sidelined with a three-match suspension, there was a recall for Robbie King who began the game in centre-midfield before swapping positions with Rob Purdie to take up a post on the left after the interval.

It was Hereford's other central midfielder, Craig Stanley, who came close to breaking the deadlock after 16 minutes.

Stuart Fleetwood slipped the ball to Purdie who made ground well on the left before finding Daryl Taylor who, in turn, laid a pass into Stanley's path.

The former Walsall man flicked a shot past goalkeeper Shwan Jalal but the ball hit the underside of the bar and came out before being cleared to safety.

At the other end, six minutes later, Woking also came close to opening the scoring when Steve Ferguson's shot was booted off the line by James.

The Cards' striker should, however, have found the net five minutes before the break when he held off a challenge by James but dinked his shot over the angle of post and bar. Largely as a result of an injury to assistant referee Alison Chapman, referee Graham Scott signalled three minutes of injury time at the end of the first period.

But this had already been exceeded by another 23 seconds when Woking took the lead.

Ryan Green conceded a free-kick on the left and the United defence seemed to completely disappear as Craig MacAllister headed in Karl Murray's cross.

After the break, Hereford had the wind behind them and used the conditions well to stage attack after attack.

Many of these featured Taylor on the right but the young on-loan winger failed to produce the end product which might have brought the equaliser.

Hereford had strong appeals for a penalty waved away when a hand appeared to intercept a Purdie corner, while Andy Williams and substitute Adam Stansfield had shots saved.

With time running out, it seemed that Hereford were heading for their first April defeat in three years and their second consecutive reverse.

But Mkandawire, who had remained forward following a free-kick, was in the right place to head home a Green cross to keep United second place in the table.

Hereford: Brown, Green, Mkandawire, James (Beckwith, 49 min), Jeannin, Taylor, King (Pitman, 78 min), Stanley, Purdie, Fleetwood (Stansfield, 55 min), Williams. Subs not used: Mawson, Nicolau.

Attendance: 1,920.