HEREFORD manager Pete Beadle hailed his players after they claimed a famous FA Cup win.

The Bulls are into the first round proper for the first time in their short history after beating National League side Eastleigh 2-1.

"When the draw came out, it was one that we were happy with and felt we would come here and perform," said Beadle.

"I felt if we performed well enough, we were capable of winning.

"We've got good players here, with good football brains and they play the game with heart.

"Yes in the second half it was back to the walls stuff and it wasn't quite as pretty, but we stood firm, but they never cut us open from open play and we said at half time if they were going to get back into the game, it was going to be from a set piece.

"And the one time we switched off, we got caught.

"Symo lost his man and the fella heads it in.

"They are a big strong side lots of experience in their team, but sometimes when you come to places like this, you need a bit of luck and your players to perform for you and we did."

The Bulls were backed by a vocal Hereford following and there probably as many away fans as there were home.

"For the first time in a long time we were underdogs," added Beadle.

"If you had asked anyone hand on heart if we could get a positive result here, about 95% would say no.

"But they stuck with us and we've rewarded them with a first round draw."

The one sour note was the injury Garyn Preen sustained in the second half.

Preen – who scored Hereford's second goal – had to be stretchered off following a hefty challenge from Gavin Hoyte.

The Bulls winger received treatment for 10 minutes before being taken off the field and was taken to hospital.

But Hereford have since reported he was given the all clear following a scan.

"One or two players said he was convulsing a little bit , so it was a nasty impact," added Beadle.

"He also got a mouthful of grass apparently, so that shows you how hard he hit the ground.

"It was a heavy challenge but it wasn't a foul.

The boys didn't react to it as a foul, they were more concerned about Garyn, which was good to see and not to get involved in some of the antics they were throwing about."

Hoyte was dismissed near the end of the game, the second Eastleigh player to see red after Andy Boyce left the field for bringing down Mike Symons.

"The straight red can happen at any time, Mike just got in front of him and the lad has made a genuine attempt to get the ball," said Beadle.

"But the second one was juts reckless and not necessary."

Hereford broke the deadlock in the 14th minute when a deflected Mike McGrath free-kick beat Ross Flitney in the Eastleigh goal.

Eastleigh came back into the game and Hereford had to do well to keep their hosts at bay.

And the home side had a chance to equalise in the 24th minute.

Craig McAllister had the goal at his mercy, but Hereford keeper Martin Horsell did enough to thwart him.

Sam Wood then shot high and wide before the hosts were reduced to 10 men.

John Mills set Mike Symons through on goal and when he was upended by Andy Boyce, referee Carl Brook had little choice but to send the home defender off.

Symons should have put Hereford 2-0 up, but he somehow shot over from just a few yards out.

However, the Bulls did get the all-important second goal two minutes before half time.

Keyon Reffell did well on the right hand side before pulling the ball back to Garyn Preen.

The Bulls winger skipped past Ross Flitney before slotting the ball home.

Eastleigh made a game of it 12 minutes from time when Callum Howe nodded home, but Hereford defended well and could easily have scored again through Adam Page and Reffell.

A total of 14 minutes were added on due to Preen's, but Hereford held on and will go into the first round draw confident they can cause another upset.

Eastleigh: Flitney, Hoyte, Green, Togwell (Constable 46), Wood, Yeates, Strevens, McAllister (McCallum 73), Boyce, Williamson (McSheffrey 73), Howe.

Subs not used: Cresswell, Zebroski, Obileye, Miley.

Hereford: Horsell, Oates, Bowen, Dinsley (Purdie 11), Green, Deaman, Preen (Page 63), McGrath, Mills (Haysham 87), Reffell, Symons.

Subs not used: Preston, O’Shea, Bird, M Harris.

Attendance: 1,345.