AN OWN-goal from skipper Stefan Stam left Hereford looking down the barrel at the interval at Edgar Street.

After repelling a period of Argyle pressure, United forced the first corner on five minutes.

Michael Townsend made a fine run to meet Kenny Lunt’s cross but headed harmlessly over.

Hereford, showing plenty of enthusiasm for their task, almost benefited when Elder charged down an attempted clearance from keeper Jake Cole.

But the ball went spinning away towards the touchline rather then goalwards.

On 12 minutes, a poor touch by Elder lost the ball in midfield and Argyle stormed downfield to force their first corner.

But the Bulls won the ball from a short flag-kick and James Chambers short pass gave Tom Barkhuizen a shooting chance which he scuffed at keeper Jake Cole.

Argyle had a chance when Hereford’s marking was not all it might have been to a Paul Wotton free-kick with Alex MacDonald nipping in to head wide.

Warren Feeney was almost the beneficiary of a misunderstanding between Stefan Stam and Dave Cornell but the Bulls skipper finally succeeded in getting the ball away.

Then a free-kick from 30 yards by Robbie Williams only cleared the bar by a couple of feet.

Argyle forced a second corner on 24 minutes but a foul from Wotton’s flag-kick brought the Bulls a free-kick.

Hereford had better opening a minute later.

Nicky Featherstone’s pass sent Richard Penniket away and his shot flashed across goal and just wide.

Wotton provided more danger with another free-kick which everyone missed but which went just wide of the Bulls goal on 28 minutes.

Disaster struck for the Bulls on the half-hour.

Warren Feeney and Stam chased a through ball and the Hereford skipper, in trying to clear the ball only lobbed the ball over Cornell and into his own net.

Hereford’s response was a 30-yarder from Will Evans which went out of the ground.

Stam almost gifted Argyle a second after 36 minutes.

The former Yeovil defender slipped under pressure from Chadwick who took the ball on and then fired the ball wide of a gaping goal.

After 41 minutes, Argyle had a great chance to bury the Bulls when Chambers was adjudged to have fouled Feeney in the area.

But Simon Walton smashed the spot-kick against a post and the ball was cleared to safety.

Penniket had a shot deflected behind for a corner as Hereford tried to get back on level terms before the interval.