AN INJURY-time strike by substitute Yoann Arquin gave Hereford a somewhat unexpected passage into the second round of the Carling Cup.

The French striker slammed the ball home two minutes into stoppage time after the Bulls had survived heavy pressure for long periods of an entertaining match.

Hereford were able to go with an unchanged team after Stefan Stam and Rob Purdie shook off minor injuries.

This meant a home debut for Delroy Facey with a further chance for fellow striker Stuart Fleetwood to open his account for the season.

Brentford made six changes from the side which beat Yeovil Town 2-0 in their League 1 opener on Saturday.

Brentford made a lively start and Adam Bartlett did well to block a Charlie MacDonald effort with his legs inside the first minute.

The ball went out for a corner but the Bulls defence easily cleared Sam Saunders’ flag-kick.

The Bulls defence got themselves in a tangle shortly afterwards when Bartlett picked up the ball after it bounced off Rob Purdie 15 yards from goal.

Referee Phil Gibbs deemed it a back-pass and gave a free-kick. But fortunately for Hereford, Saunders hammered his shot against the wall.

Hereford had another let-off on 10 minutes when Clayton Donaldson got around the back of the Bulls defance and pulled the ball across goal to Kevin O’Connor whose shot was blocked expertly on the line by Purdie.

With Brentford still in the ascendant, Shaleum Logan forced a diving save from Bartlett with a curling 20-yarder.

Then Jonathan Douglas shot high over from the edge of the area.

Hereford enjoyed a better spell of play with some good possession but were rarely able to penetrate into good attacking positions.

Finally, though, on 32 minutes, Delroy Facey headed Stuart Fleetwood away and last season’s top-scorer raced to the edge of the area but fired a left-foot shot high over the bar.

Hereford were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the area but referee Gibbs failed to punish the advancing Bees defender who blocked Fleetwood’s shot from around five yards away.

Gibbs then cautioned Joe Colbeck for a relatively innocuous challenge in the lead-up to the interval.

Hereford kept up the pressure and forced their first corner a minute before the break.

James McQuilkin’s flag-kick flicked off the head of Facey and out for a throw.

As the second half git underway, Stam produced an excellent challenge to deny MacDonald.

And with 53 minutes played, another MacDonald shot deflected off Stam for a corner.

Saunders, a danger all evening, fired a 20-yarder just outside an upright.

Donaldson, another threat, saw his shot go behind off Joe Heath for another corner.

And Bartlett did well to save at the feet of Marcus Bean who had, for once, caught Stam out of position.

Hereford had good spells of possession but it was Brentford who continued to create chances and Bartlett made a good reaction save from Donaldson.

The arrival of Yoann Arquin in place of Facey pepped up the Bulls attack but Brentford went close again with a delightful chip from Bean which went inches over But the Bulls produced an excellent move on 83 minutes, extending from Colbeck through Purdie to Pell whose fierce volley was brilliantly tipped over by Simon Moore.

Heath then drilled over a cross from the left which Arquin headed goalwards but without power.

In the second minute of injury time, Hereford took a surprise lead.

Purdie played the ball back to Lunt who picked out Heath on the left. His cross was expertly controlled by Colbeck who slammed the ball across the box for Arquin to get the touch at the far post.

Hereford: Bartlett; Purdie, Stam, Green, Heath; Pell, Lunt, McQuilkin; Colbeck, Lacey (Arquin 69), Fleetwood. Subs not used: Hoult, Weir, Kovacs, McCarthy, Canham, Williams.

Brentford: Moore, O’Connor, Bean (Weston 86), Eger, Saunders (Reeves 75), Douglas, Donaldson, MacDonald, Logan (Alexander 90), Wood, Osborne. Subs not used: Lee, Woodman, Balkestein, Forrester.

Referee: Phil Gibbs (West Midlands).

Attendance: 1,767 (including 190 from Brentford).

Yellow cards: Hereford – Colbeck, foul, 41 min; Brentford – Douglas, foul, 68 min;.

Goal: Arquin, 90 min, 1-0.