Hereford United 2 Cheltenham Town 0 GOALS from Trevor Benjamin and Steve Guinan gave Hereford a winning conclusion to their pre-season friendly programme.

But the Bulls' pleasure at a comfortable success against their higher-graded local rivals was overshadowed by a horrendous collision between Robins defenders Shane Duff and Michael Wylde midway through the second period which saw the pair hospitalised.

Duff and Wylde, with no United player even challenging, went to clear a loose ball but instead collided with a sickening clash of heads.

Duff was the first to recover but even then was in no fit state to leave the field under his own steam and had to be helped to the touch-line.

St John's Ambulance members and Cheltenham backroom staff, aided by United physio Wayne Jones, worked on Wylde for around nine minutes before he was taken from the pitch on a stretcher with what turned out to be a fractured jaw.

Until then, it had been a well-contested and competitive match which Hereford had just about shaded.

Cheltenham had created the first opportunity, however, on 11 minutes when triallist goalkeeper Chris Weale had failed to gather a corner from Andy Lindegaard - the keeper's only real mistake in an impressive display - and Steve Gillespie's effort was headed off the line by Trent McClenahan.

Hereford, though had an equally good chance to open the scoring on 19 minutes when Steve Guinan sent Lionel Ainsworth scurrying down the right.

The former Derby man's cross was dummied by skipper Ben Smith into the path of Benjamin but the big striker seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet and the opportunity was gone.

Toumani Diagouraga drove a shot just wide before Benjamin redeemed himself on 33 minutes, holding off the challenge of two defenders before neatly chipping a shot over goalkeeper Shane Higgs.

Guinan blasted a shot just wide following Easton's free-kick a minute before the break but, two minutes into the second period, Hereford looked set to increase their advantage.

Theo Robinson, who replaced Benjamin at the interval, seized on a poor back pass from Lee Ridley, rounded Higgs and shot towards the unguarded goal, only to see the alert Duff race back to scramble the ball away for a corner.

After the dreadful collision between Duff and Wylde, much of the impetus went out of the game.

But United sealed their win on 76 minutes when Easton pulled back Ainsworth's cross to Guinan and the former Cheltenham man reminded his former club of his striking ability by lashing a powerful drive into the corner of the net.

Hereford: Weale; McClenahan, Broadhurst (McCombe, 76 min), Beckwith, Rose; Ainsworth (Donnelly, 76 min), Diagouraga (Gwynne, 76 min), Smith (Taylor, 62 min), Easton (Fitzpatrick, 81 min); Benjamin (Robinson, 46 min), Guinan (Palmer, 81 min).

Cheltenham: Higgs, J Gill, Ridley, Bird (Foley, 81 min), Duff (Gallinagh, 71 min), Townsend (Wylde, 48 min (B Gill, 71 min)), Lindegaard (Ledgister, 79 min), Finnigan (Connelly, 79 min), Conner (Vincent, 46 min), Gillespie (Reid, 79 min), Myrie-Williams (Yao, 75 min).

Referee: Wayne Barratt (Worcestershire).

Attendance: 1,003.