Wycombe Wanderers 0 Hereford United 1

MATHIEU Manset fired Hereford into the fourth round of the FA Cup on a memorable night at Wycombe's Adams Park.

The big Frenchman was on the end of a neatly-worked set-piece routine to earn the Bulls a welcome £67,500 pay packet and enhance his own reputation in the process.

Manset has scored 12 times this season, six in the FA Cup, and has become one of the division's most feared strikers.

By adding a predatory goal instinct - he was in the right place on Tuesday night to stab home Richard Rose's header from a Stuart Fleetwood cross - he more than justified the interest from a host of scouts who have been watching recent games.

High-flying Wycombe knew that they were up against a tough battle from the outset.

In his programme notes, home boss Gary Waddock admitted that Hereford had played as well as any team that had visited Adams Park this season in the Boxing Day League 2 clash which Wycombe won 2-1.

And Hereford continued in similar vein in the cup-tie with a lively opening which saw Manset's in-form strike partner Fleetwood twice go close.

The Bulls dominated the early phase but Hereford were then pegged back by the home side who were out of luck when the dangerous Gareth Ainsworth struck the woodwork.

Manset soon silenced the home crowd with his goal, however, and Hereford's defence, with Janos Kovacs and Michael Townsend giving their all and Rose subduing the danger down the flanks, coped admirably for the remainder of the first period.

Hereford, after repelling more pressure at the start of the second 45 minutes, went close to adding to the score when Joe Colbeck's fine effort was turned away by longtime Hereford nemesis Nikki Bull, the former Aldershot stopper.

United's Adam Bartlett pulled off a couple of fine stops, too, as the Chairboys piled forward in the closing stages.

But after Stuart Beavon's late effort had flashed through the goalmouth and narrowly wide, Hereford held on for a victory which sent the 200 or so travelling fans into delirium.