Hereford United 1 Cheltenham Town 1 JAMIE Pitman’s Bulls extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in an entertaining local derby clash with Gloucestershire rivals Cheltenham Town.

But Hereford’s inability to win at Edgar Street in the league remains a worry – United are the only team in the Football League who have yet to break their duck on home territory.

It might have been so different had Hereford been able to convert one of three good chances in the opening quarter- of-an-hour.

Inside the first 90 seconds, Mathieu Manset’s neat flick gave Kenny Lunt a clear sight of goal.

But the experienced midfielder, 15 yards out, gave keeper Scott Brown the chance to make a save and the stopper acrobatically obliged.

A couple of minutes later, Brown was in the action again, diving to push the ball away after Rob Purdie threaded a shot through the defensive wall from a free-kick.

Then a precise pass from Richard Rose sent Joe Colbeck clear of the Cheltenham defence.

But the winger, who has managed just one goal this season, dragged his shot across goal and wide.

United had to wait until first-half stoppage time for the breakthrough.

Purdie who, along with Nicky Featherstone, was the pick of the United side, popped up on the right to deliver a cross which was headed in by Manset for his sixth goal in six games.

In between, Cheltenham had rather the better of the action and might have led but for Adam Bartlett’s fine save defying Brian Smikle and Ryan Valentine’s excellent tackle robbing the ball from David Bird.

Cheltenham pushed the Hereford defence deeper and deeper over a prolonged period at the start of the second half and Smikle’s shot turned into a pass for Jeff Goulding to apply a simple finish.

Bartlett saved well from Wes Thomas moments later, but Hereford had their chances, too, notably through Colbeck who had a good effort saved by Brown as honours were shared.

BULLS FACTFILE Hereford: Bartlett; Weir, Green, Townsend, Valentine; Colbeck, Rose, Featherstone, Purdie; Lunt (Canham 69); Manset. Subs not used: Heister, Werling, Stratford, Gwynne, Evans, Thomas.

Cheltenham: Brown; Lowe, Gallinagh, Riley, Low; Melligan (Thomas 57), Bird, Pack, Shroot (Artus 88); Smikle; Goulding. Subs not used: Lloyd-Weston, Jeffers, Lewis, Elliott, Andrew.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire) Attendance: 3,264 (including 709 from Cheltenham).

Yellow cards: Hereford – Featherstone, encroaching, 41 min; Townsend, foul, 59 min; Rose, foul, 62 min; Green, foul, 64 min; Cheltenham – Riley, foul, 82 min.

Goals: Manset, 45 min, 1-0; Goulding, 66 min, 1-1.