HEREFORD United’s defensive frailties again cost them a morale-boosting result when they went down to promotion-candidates Leicester City.

After being well in the game for long spells, Hereford were undone on 74 minutes.

Richard Jackson dallied too long in getting the ball away and his clearance eventually hit Lloyd Dyer and looped into the air.

Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi came out to try to punch clear but only succeeded in finding Steve Howard who lobbed the ball goalwards.

Jackson, in trying to clear, headed against the bar and the rebound fell conveniently for Dyer to crash home. “It’s got to the stage where I’m not quite sure how to go on explaining the goals we concede,” said boss Graham Turner.

“The second goal absolutely destroyed us; the manner of it. And from then on, you could see Leicester go up a notch with the self-belief and the hard work they put in.”

Four minutes from time, substitute Max Gradel evoked memories of former Bulls favourite Lionel Ainsworth in the way he scorched past Kris Taylor before crossing for Howard to side-foot home.

“The third goal was another poor defensive effort but it was the second which turned the game,” said Turner. “That was soul-destroying.”

Things had begun promisingly when Jennison Myrie-Williams was brought down in the area and Steve Guinan, putting the memory of Tuesday’s spot-kick miss against Brighton behind him, scored his 13th goal of the season from the resulting penalty.

“It’s a decent tally for me in a relegation side,” said the Bulls top-scorer. “I aimed for the top corner and, although it was a bit close for comfort, it made up for my mistake on Tuesday night.”

United’s lead was short-lived. They conceded a free-kick on the corner of the area and Matt Oakley whipped a shot into the corner of the net when most on the ground were expecting a cross.

“At half-time, I didn’t think there was anything in the game at all and going down hill towards our fans in the second half, I thought we had a good chance,” said Guinan.

“But it was another stupid defensive error and it has cost us – they got their tails up when, if anything, we were on top and have gone on to win the game.

“Some of the goals we have conceded this season, not just today, have been very, very poor and that is why we are in the position we are.”

The former Nottingham Forest man concluded: “We haven’t scored enough goals and have conceded too many.

“We have not been good enough all over the park.”

Hereford: Gulacsi; Jackson, Rose, Broadhurst, Taylor; Myrie-Williams, Smith, Diagouraga, Pugh (Done, 75 min); Guinan, Brandy (Johnson, 78 min). Subs not used: Veiga, Gwynne, O’Leary.

Leicester: Stockdale; Morrison, Hobbs, Brown, Mattock; Oakley, King, Berner (Graqdel, 62 min), Dyer (Ajdarevic, 90 min); Howard, Fryatt (Dickov, 85 min). Subs not used: Warner, Kisnorbo.

Referee: Karl Evans (Greater Manchester).

Attendance: 4,389 (1,924 from Leicester).

Yellow cards: Leicester – King, simulation, 72 min; Dyer, over-zealous celebration, 74 min.

Goals: Guinan pen, 28 min, 1-0; Oakley, 34 min, 1-1; Dyer, 74 min, 1-2; Howard, 86 min, 1-3.