Cheltenham Town 2 Hereford United 3: The latest in a long list of hard luck stories has left Cheltenham Town needing a minor miracle to avoid relegation from Coca-Cola League One this season.

Not much has gone the way of Martin Allen's team since the turn of the year, but they have also developed a costly habit of shooting themselves in the foot when they have been far from outplayed.

Their fifth defeat in six league games was altogether more acceptable than the 3-0 humiliation they suffered at Edgar Street in November, but the end result of this full-blooded derby was equally as difficult to swallow.

A fired-up Robins side started the game promisingly, but they proceeded to gift nearest relegation rivals Hereford a 13th-minute lead.

The opening goal was the result of an embarrassing mix-up between goalkeeper Scott Brown and left-back Lee Ridley, who had an afternoon to forget.

They made a mess of dealing with a routine ball and Steve Guinan couldn't believe his luck as the ball fell to him in the box.

All the ex-Robins striker had to do was direct it towards the unguarded net and Manchester United loanee Febian Brandy made sure, forcing the ball over the line.

Cheltenham then staged their own mini-St Valentine's Day massacre, as Hereford's overworked physiotherapist Jamie Pitman was called on to the pitch at regular intervals.

Cheltenham were not without a casualty of their own and Nicholas Bignall's one-month loan spell was brought to a premature end after half an hour, when he was replaced by Ashley Vincent.

The Reading teenager spent Saturday evening in hospital after sustaining a nasty eye injury.

It was Hereford, however, who came off worst during a bruising first half.

Both of the Bulls' starting centre-backs, Josh Gowling and Dean Beckwith, were forced off before half-time with injuries.

Damian Spencer and Lloyd Owusu were too strong in the air for Hereford's reshuffled side to cope with after the break.

Some direct tactics were paying off and it was no surprise when Owusu hooked in from close range after Vincent headed Alex Russell's corner back across goal.

One of Hereford's replacement defenders, Karl Broadhurst, lasted only nine minutes either side of half-time before he too limped off. The visitors had midfielders at right-back and in the middle of defence and a right-back also filling in at centre-back as a result of their injuries.

They looked to be there for the taking when leading scorer Owusu powered in a fine header from Ian Westlake's left-wing corner in the 56th minute for his second of the game.

As they had done against Brighton and Bristol Rovers last month, Cheltenham looked relatively comfortable and on course for their most precious three-point haul of the campaign.

Westlake was unfortunate not to make it 3-1 as his free-kick cannoned off the inside of a post, but once again, things took a turn for the worst to leave a helpless Allen looking on in disbelief from the sidelines.

It was another exciting youngster borrowed from the squad of Sir Alex Ferguson's European champions that did the damage.

Cheltenham were unsettled by the loss of defender Shane Duff to a back problem and they gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position after 66 minutes.

The ball was touched to Sam Hewson, who sent a thunderous strike through the wall and straight past Brown, who may have been unsighted.

Hewson tried his luck from a similar position 15 minutes later and this time the ball took a wicked deflection off the wall, wrong-footing Brown and trickling into the net, sending the travelling masses into dreamland.

Things went from bad to worse in stoppage time as the normally unflappable Ridley was shown a red card for swearing at the referee over the position of a free-kick.

Ill-discipline has seen Cheltenham players shown eight red cards since Allen took over and the boos rang around Whaddon Road on the final whistle.

There may still be 18 matches remaining, but sad Cheltenham now have one foot in League Two.

Cheltenham Town: Brown; Westwood, Diallo, Duff (Finnigan 63), Ridley; Russell, Bird (Hammond 86), Westlake; Spencer, Owusu, Bignall (Vincent 30). Subs not used: Connor, Puddy.

Hereford United: Gulacsi; Rose, Beckwith (Smith 43), Gowling (Broadhurst 37, Johnson 46), Taylor; Myrie-Williams, Diagouraga, Hewson, Gwynne; Guinan, Brandy. Subs not used: Done, Veiga.