YORK City's four-game winning run came to a trundling halt at the hands of visiting National League North basement side Hereford.

A calamitous series of errors at the back handed the initiative to Tom Owen-Evans, whose slotted finish into an empty net gave Hereford the 1-0 win.

Disappointingly for City, it was about what they deserved. With the wind behind them from the last few games, they never really got on any kind of roll against Hereford.

They needed a moment of fortune to get them through the night, and when Harrison Hopper was brought down in the area, it looked like they had it, but Clayton Donaldson's decent penalty was saved well.

And there was something grimly predictable about the moment Owen-Evans extended Hereford's hoodoo over York, who have now failed to beat the Bulls in five attempts.

Steve Watson was forced into the one change from the starting 11 at Blackwell Meadows on Saturday, Sam Fielding not recovering from an ankle injury in time to make the squad. In came Kurt Willoughby, who was a used substitute during the weekend’s 2-1 win at Darlington.

Olly Dyson dropped to right-back from the right-sided midfield berth he occupied on Saturday.

From the bench, youngster Lewis Cunningham dropped out while City Academy graduates Luke Jones and Jonny Haase came in among the substitutes.

There were three changes for Hereford from their 1-1 draw at home to Leamington on Saturday.

Defender Reiss McNally joined the Bulls on Tuesday on a short-term loan from Solihull Moors and went straight into the side, as did Owen-Evans. Former Aberdeen striker Miles Storey and Luke Haines missed out.

Fresh in the midfield was Afghanistan international midfielder Maziar Kouhyar, promoted from the bench. He replaced Ryan McLean, who signed before the start of the season after impressing enough during one game on loan last term.

City had the edge on the attacking threat, courtesy of their creative players, but it was by no means one-way traffic. York’s best chance in the first few minutes was somehow turned wide when Mark Beck nodded on Dyson’s inswinging corner into the six-yard box.

Hereford had a dangerous spell of a few minutes around the 10-minute mark. Both Josh King and Dyson did well to shield their men away from goal before Dan Smith miscued a golden opportunity. Rapid play through the middle were causing worry to the City back line and a ball over the top to Owen-Evans was cut back to Smith around the penalty spot. He scuffed it clear.

The most impressive facet of the game was the sustained pace it was played it and, though bottom of the table, Hereford had a big part to play in that. Another great bit of swift passing cut York open a few minutes after Smith’s effort and won a fifth Bulls corner, which was cleared.

After a period under the cosh, York recovered to put some pressure back on the visitors, Beck’s headed flick-ons a key cog in the quick play. Michael Woods drew an excellent save from Brandon Hall when the ball sat up for him on the bounce and the midfielder lashed it towards the keeper’s bottom-left corner.

Hereford were far from pushovers and had enough quality off the ball to make life hard for York in possession and City were not able to break the lines of the compact Bulls.

The Bulls had a decent effort out of nothing, curled wide by Kouhyar, but otherwise had offered precious little since their purple patch until the midway mark of the half.

Mackenzie Heaney, who – apart from a couple of neat early touches – had not been in the game, drew a good save from Hall with a decent effort from range. However, the two poor crosses straight out of play from Michael Duckworth were more indicative of York’s approaches to goal.

York had more of the possession but seemed to only get so close to goal before running out of ideas.

Hereford started the second half on the front foot and forced Jameson into a good save early in the 45. From a corner, some slack defending allowed the ball to trickle back to Levi Andoh, whose effort from the edge of the area needed a strong hand from Jameson to turn it around for the first of three Bulls corners in quick succession. None came to anything.

In the 53rd minute, the threatening Smith drilled a free header towards the near post. He did well to produce the power and direction he did, but was matched by Jameson, who punched out for another Hereford corner.

After Willoughby came off for Hopper, City had their first forays forward of the half and, thanks to the substitute, were presented with a golden opportunity. Chasing a ball into the area, Hopper was sandwiched between two covering defenders and went down for a penalty. Donaldson’s spot kick was far enough away from Hall but at a comfortable height and punched away.

City ramped up the pressure going into the final 20 minutes, and Akil Wright came agonisingly close to the opener. Dyson delivered an inswinging corner, met by the midfielder, whose header flashed across goal and beyond the far post.

It seemed York had a head of steam.

But absolute disaster struck at the back with 11 minutes remaining. York, with the ball in the attacking third, somehow conspired to play the ball jerkily back and, via Matty Brown, centre-back King never had it under control. He played a short ball back to Jameson, whose first touch was dreadful and into the path of Owen-Evans. The Bulls man took it around the keeper and slotted in.

Donaldson had the ball in the net but was ruled offside before Heaney summed up City's ideas in front of goal by shooting over from inside the area.

York: Jameson 4, Duckworth 5, Brown 4, Dyson 5, Woods 5 (Gilchrist 3, 75), Willoughby 4 (Hopper 5, 53), Donaldson 5, King 4, Heaney 4, Beck 5, Wright 5. Subs not used: Jones, Haase, Campbell.

Yellow cards: Wright

Star man: Olly Dyson. One of the few players who looked like he might take the initiative. Mark Beck also took on his target-man role decently.

Hereford: Hall, Hodgkiss, Owen-Evans, Andoh, Lloyd, Pollock, Kouyhar (McLean 71), Smith (Hulbert 81), McNally, Fini, Pinchard (Forsyth 73). Subs not used: Hancox, Liburd-Hines.

Goals: Owen-Evans (79)

Referee: Adam Williamson

Attendance: 2,483

Stats for York / Hereford

Shots (on target): 7 (3) / 5 (3)

Corners: 8 / 10

Offsides: 2 / 0

Fouls: 7 / 12

Yellow cards: 1 / 0

Penalties: 1 / 0