MATCH winner James Roberts said that he felt 'numb' before firing Hereford into a first league victory since August and moved out of the bottom three.

The substitute was the first to pick up the ball after Mike Symons was dragged down inside the box and fired the injury time spot kick into the bottom corner as they beat Alfreton 2-1.

Earlier in the match Symons put the Bulls ahead after tapping home Kyle Finn's 18th minute cross for the opener.

Despite Marc Richards' side looking in control of the tie and missing a host of chances they looked to have thrown the points away with three minutes remaining when Craig Hobson headed home following a free-kick.

However, the game took a final turn with Roberts firing the Bulls to a fourth league victory of the season.

"I went pretty numb actually because it was obviously a big responsibility but there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to take it," said Roberts.

"I'm a confident person in life as it is so not much went through my mind just to do the same thing as I normally do and plant it.

"Once I had the ball I didn't look behind me because I knew there was a host of players ready to take it but it would have taken a manager's call to take it off me.

"Had someone else got the ball I wouldn't have even asked but the most important thing was the three points.

"It is a really good team ethic in there and we've got back-to-back wins so we're delighted with that.

"Symons today, his bit of quality to win us the game was being fouled because the size of him and the presence he has got up there is a nightmare for defenders as you saw all game.

"I may well have scored the penalty but the reason we got the penalty is Mike Symons.

"We know we went through a difficult spell we were under no illusions. Now we are really starting to show what we are about."

The win was Richards' first as Hereford head coach but he said his side have a 'long way to go'.

"It does feel good," said Richards.

"It didn't feel good on 89 minutes when they just equalised but it's great. It had been coming, it's just good to get it over the line however we needed to do it today.

"When we conceded the equaliser I was worried we were going to crumble and I was looking for a few to really step up, it was just really pleasing to see that they got through it.

"We had quite a few chances to kill the game off and because we didn't get that second I thought it was going to be a really tough last 10 minutes because they had nothing to lose.

"The boys really rallied and we got three points. We have got a long way to go, we've still got a load of work to do but the more we can get them on the training pitch hopefully more performances will come."

Hereford start: Yates, Thomas, Greenslade, O'Sullivan (Roberts 71), Cullinane-Liburd, Smith (c), Dinsley, Owen-Evans, Finn, Lloyd, Symons

Unused subs: White, Murphy, Dielna, Horsell