HEREFORD collapsed to a dreadful defeat when everything that could go wrong did as Macclesfield romped to a 4-0 success.

Hereford boss Jamie Pitman sprang a surprise by calling up his assistant Russell Hoult and must have wished that he hadn’t as the veteran conceded three goals in the final seven minutes, two of them utterly appalling from the keeper’s point of view.

Adam Bartlett was dropped to the bench, partly as a result of a thigh injury.

Kenny Lunt was also left out with Nicky Featherstone brought back into the starting line-up.

Hereford were denied a penalty inside two minutes by a dreadful decision.

Stuart Fleetwood beat Carl Tremarco to a long ball out of defence by Joe Colbeck, took the ball past Jose Veiga but was nudged as he did so.

It was a clear penalty but referee Darren Sheldrake waved play on and the ball was cleared off the line just before it went into the net.

With Hereford making the attacking running, an early corner from Rob Purdie was headed over by Michael Townsend.

Purdie’s pass was knocked back by Colbeck into the path of Featherstone whose low drive was parried away by Viega.

As usual, though, it was not all plain sailing for the Bulls and a swift break by Emile Sinclair found Hoult having to dive to save with his feet.

But Hereford were certainly the more lively outfit and Viega had to save from Delroy Facey and Colbeck before 12 minutes had elapsed.

Viega then was fortunate to find a Colbeck bullet volley from Purdie’s cross come straight at him.

The Bulls were almost caught out on 24 minutes when Townsend allowed Ross Draper too much space and the forward powered in a drive which Hoult fisted away.

The veteran keeper then pulled off a flying save to deny Tony Diagne.

On 29 minutes, Heath, who seemed to have sustained a back injury, was replaced by Yoann Arquin with a reshuffle of the on-field personnel taking place as Purdie and Fleetwood dropped back a position.

Arquin quickly switched to left midfield and immediately caused concern in the Silkmen’s defence.

But the visitors were swift to break out and Draper’s shot was deflected out by Stefan Stam for a corner as Hereford’s lack of pace in central defence was exposed.

And Hoult had to come racing out of his area to clear at the feet of Sinclair.

In the first few seconds of the second period, Stam conceded a corner but the set-piece failed to trouble the Bulls defence.

At the other end, Fleetwood headed badly wide when Arquin got around the back of the defence.

On 53 minutes, Townsend gave a way a free-kick on the edge of the area and once again the Bulls were punished.

Diagne flashed an unstoppable shot past the wall and into the top corner of the net.

Hereford tried to hit back and Viega dived to save smartly from Fleetwood at the expense of a corner.

From Colbeck’s cross, Facey’s flicked header came back off a post and Townsend’s follow-up was blocked.

But Hereford, in their eagerness for an equaliser, were occasionally left exposed at the back and Purdie cleared Sinclair’s shot, and Diagne’s follow-up, off the line.

Ten minutes from the end, Hereford’s misery was ramped up another peg.

Draper picked off a loose pass from substitute James McQuilkin, looked up, saw Hoult of his line and lobbed the ball into the net from virtually 50 yards.

And it was further misery a minute from the end when Tremarco waltzed through the defence and shot.

His effort was blocked by Hoult but Ben Tomlinson headed in the rebound.

Tomlinson scored a comedy goal in injury time when Hoult came out to try to clear, lost possession and the substitute ran the ball into the net.

Hereford: 4-4-2; Hoult; Green, Stam, Townsend, Heath (Arquin 29); Colbeck, Featherstone (McQuilkin 73), Pell, Purdie; Fleetwood, Facey. Subs not used: Bartlett, Williams, Lunt.

Macclesfield: 4-4-2; Viega, Hewitt, Brown, Brisley,Tremarco; Hamshaw (Kay 75), Chalmers (Mendy 82), Wedgbury, Diagne; Draper, Sinclair (Tomlinson 84). Subs not used: Grant, Bateson.

Referee: Darren Sheldrake (Surrey).

Attendance: 1,609 (including 42 from Macclesfield).

Yellow cards: Hereford – Stam, foul, 45 min; Featherstone, foul, 58 min; Macclesfied – Wedgbury, dissent, 65 min.

Goals: Diagne, 53 min, 0-1; Draper, 82 min, 0-2; Tomlinson, 90 min, 0-3.