A PAUL Caddis penalty six minutes before the break gave high-flying Swindon a half-time advantage at Edgar Street.

After the initial jousting, Swindon forced the first corner of the game after four minutes but Alessandro Cibocchi shot high over.

Hereford, though, wasted a great chance to take the lead a couple of minutes later.

Joe Colbeck sent Nathan Elder away on the left but then fired his shot wide from a great position when the ball was returned to the middle.

Hereford, who were withstanding the expected pressure quite well, had another good chance on 16 minutes.

A Simon Clist free-kick fell to former Swindon midfielder Will Evans whose shot was parried away by keeper Wes Foderingham.

Anthony rolled the rebound towards goal where Jonathan Smith booted the ball off the line.

After 24 minutes, however, Hereford had to survive a tremendous goalmouth scramble before Cibocchi drllled a shot into Adam Bartlett’s arms.

Swindon had been pressingly strongly without creating much danger, although they did force a corner on 30 minutes, which came to nothing.

A further corner, on 33 minutes, met a similar fate with the ball, from Matt Ritchie, flashing through the goalmouth and out of play on the other side.

Hereford forced their first corner, through Colbeck on 36 minutes but, as at the other end, Clist’s cross failed to prompt any danger.

Hereford conceded a penalty after a bad error by Bartlett.

The keeper’s attempted clearance only reached Paul Benson on the edge of the area.

The striker advanced into the area where he was brought down by a combination of Ryan Green and Anthony.

Paul Caddis drilled the penalty under the diving Bartlett.

Colbeck forced a corner with a good run at the other end as Hereford tried to fight back.

And then Purdie forced a flag-kick on the other side, but neither came to anything.