Full-time: Swindon Town 3 Hereford United 0

Swindon Town eased their fears of relegation with a convincing victory over West rivals Hereford United this afternoon.

Striker Simon Cox took his goal tally to 24 for the season with a brace either side of half-time before Billy Paynter scuffed home to seal the comprehensive win to move Town three points closer to the target for safety set out by Wilson just a matter of weeks ago.

Cox opened the scoring with a near post header just before the half-hour mark following a well-worked short corner routine – but his second just after the restart left Hereford boss Graham Turner raging at infamous official Stuart Attwell.

The referee failed to overrule his linesman when Cox, standing in an easily visible offside position, scored with an audacious back-heeled flick when Owain Tudur Jones had returned the ball into the six-yard box after the Bulls had cleared their lines at a corner.

That goal was enough to double the advantage and end the game as a contest as Town went on to spurn a number of good chances before Paynter scored from close range with a little under a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.

Hal Robson-Kanu also hit a post and Hereford goalkeeper had to make several saves to keep the score down as the Bulls extended their losing sequence to five games.

On-loan Manchester United striker Fabian Brandy offered the most potent attacking threat on an afternoon where Phil Smith was rarely worked between the Town posts as Hereford moved a step closer to an immediate return to League Two.

Swindon Town (4-4-2): P Smith; Amankwaah, Morrison, Greer, Vincent (J Smith 26); Robson-Kanu, Timlin, Tudur Jones (Nalis 75), McNamee (Marshall 81); Paynter, Cox. Subs not used: Brezovan, Sturrock.

Hereford United (4-4-2): Gulasci; Jackson, Beckwith, Dennehy, Rose; MacLeod (Johnson 71), Hewson (Smith 73), Diagouraga, Done; Guinan, Brandy. Subs not used: Viera, Gwynne, Broadhurst.