STANLEY manager John Coleman had his hopes set on a clean sheet - but these were quickly dashed within three minutes at Edgeley Park.
The Reds last had a shut-out at Hereford nine games ago and Coleman had said another "seemed a million miles away" after recent defensive lapses.
And so it proved when Michael Rose curled a free kick around the wall and into the Stanley goal just three minutes into Saturday's clash.
Anthony Elding - the scourge of Stanley when he played for Stevenage - added the second in injury time in the first half to kill off the Reds hopes of continuing their good away form.
Stanley "huffed and puffed" as Coleman said but were unable to take their chances with Roscoe Dsane and Ian Craney guilty of glaring misses in good positions.
The Reds will be hoping to put things right when they travel to promotion-chasing Peterborough on Tuesday night.
