HEREFORD boss Yan Klukowski felt his side lacked their usual zip as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chester.

Two away wins inside a week took their toll on the Bulls as marksman Curt Willoughby capitalised on some poor defending to slot home his side’s 79th minute winner.

The winning goal came just four minutes after Thierry Latty-Fairweather had cancelled out Charlie Caton’s opener.

“I thought we were flat tonight and looked like a team that had been on the road for a week,” said Klukowski. “We didn’t quite have that spark and lacked that quality in possession which you don’t usually say about this group.

“We did ever-so-well to get back into the game with a fantastic goal from Latty-Fairweather and then disappointing to concede the second goal.”

Chester had the best away record in the league coming into the game and could have gone ahead with just five minutes on the clock.

Caton ran at the Bulls’ defence before getting a fortunate deflection off defender Aaron Amadi-Holloway and forced goalkeeper Dino Visser into a fine save down low.

The rebound fell nicely to striker Willoughby who lashed his effort wide of the target.

After back-to-back away victories Hereford have showed encouraging signs and defender Orrin Pendley saw his effort deflected over the crossbar.

However, the best chance fell to Chester on 21 minutes when Jamie Morgan got behind the hosts’ defence before putting the ball on a plate for Willoughby who blazed his effort over.

The Bulls came back into the match and had two chances inside the four minutes of added time.

Firstly Latty-Fairweather steered his effort just wide after a corner before wing-back Levi Andoh charge into the box and then rifled his effort just wide.

After the break Hereford continued to probe and Jack Holmes ran at the defence before steering his effort just wide.

However, on 59 minutes the visitors went ahead after Declan Weeks drove at the Hereford defence before cutting the ball back for Caton who unmarked inside the box headed home.

The game looked to have turned on 75 minutes when Hereford pulled a goal back as Latty-Fairweather cut in from the wing before curling his effort into the net.

However, with just four minute left Chester controversially scored the winner after Visser claimed that he had prevented the corner which was awarded.

Hereford failed to deal with the set-piece and Matty Williams sent his effort against the crossbar and Willoughby was on hand to score the winner.

Klukowski added: “We’ve been undone by a poor linesman decision where the ball doesn’t go out of play, we’ve seen on the video and then we’ve defended the set play very poorly.”

Hereford: Visser, Thompson-Sommers, McLean, Lloyd, Amadi-Holloway, Hanson (Livermore 89), Pendley, Barnett (Storey 62), Holmes (Pinchard 62), Andoh, Latty-Fairweather

Unused subs: Klukowski, Campbell