HEREFORD FC defender Jimmy Oates says the Bulls realise there is pressure on them to win this season's FA Vase.

Pete Beadle's team are 5/2 to win the competition after are through to the third round following a 4-1 win against Haughmond on Saturday.

“There is big pressure on us in the FA Vase because we want to do well in it and get to Wembley,” said Oates.

“In every game we come up against, we just want to do our best and Beads [manager Pete Beadle] is right onto us about that.

“Before every match, he just says ‘take it as it comes and play the way we can’ and that is all we need to worry about."

Oates felt Haughmond gave Hereford a good test, but the Bulls' quality told in the end.

“I thought they were good and a threat all over the pitch, especially with that long throw," he said.

“But we were clinical, which helped us.

“We might not have deserved to be 2-0 up at half-time, but I think we pushed on well from there."

Oates, who lives in Cheltenham, came over to the UK from Australia last September to study at Hartpury College.

“I didn’t play for a Saturday team last year because I had a few injuries, but it’s good to get involved with Hereford now, especially because it’s a good club and to taste English football," he said.

Beadle also felt Hereford did not play to their best on Saturday.

"May be we should credit Haughmond," he said.

"They came and did a job on us and worked extremely hard – they were a credit to their club and didn't give in at any point.

"At the end, it was probably a little bit of extra quality that counted, it certainly was not the work rate which has been one of our strong points recently."

Haughmond, who are second in the West Midlands (Regional) League Premier Division, forced a couple of early corners before Hereford opened the scoring after eight minutes.

Joel Edwards won the ball and fed Rob Purdie, who played a one-two with John Mills before firing the ball home.

Hereford then made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute Mills' shot was deflected past Haughmond goalkeeper Sam Jones.

Pablo Haysham, who set up Mills' goal saw his effort hit the outside of a post before he did score thanks to a header three minutes after the break.

But, four minutes later, a quick break by Haughmond caught Hereford out and Steve Hole drove the ball home to the delight of the travelling fans.

The away side could then have had a penalty when Howarth was brought down, but it was Hereford who sealed the game through Mike Symons 18 minutes from time.

MATCH FACTS

Hereford: Rivers, Oates, Edwards, Bonella, Willets, Green, Purdie (Bundu 85), Birch, Mills, Haysham (Tumelty 71), Symons.

Subs not used: Grant, Kontic-Coveney, Hughes.

Haughmond: S Jones, M Jones (Taylor 69), Fletcher, Farr, Hewitt, Graham (Matthews 78), Ruscoe, Rogers, Hole (Perry 84), Howarth, Renshaw.

Subs not used: Davies, Richards.

Referee: Luis Martin.

Yellow cards: Hereford – Haysham 62 foul, Oates, 78, foul; Haughmond – Farr, 82, foul.

Attendance: 2,170.