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| Taylor opened the scoring for Spennymoor in the second minute |
Hereford have fallen to their fourth consecutive loss despite a lively and spirited second half against Spennymoor Town.
The Bulls struggled to get a foothold in the game against the full-time outfit from the North East as wind and rain battered Edgar Street during a poor first half.
A woeful start from Aaron Downes's side saw them concede after just 72 seconds as Glen Taylor headed home his 20th goal of the season before Corey McKeown added a second in the 35th minute - both avoidable goals.
An improved performance in better conditions saw the Bulls pull a goal back from a fine Freddy Willcox strike from 25 yards, but they couldn't find a way to salvage a point after four games in eight days and make up ground in their fight against relegation.
Downes named an unchanged side after Saturday's unfortunate 3-1 defeat at Macclesfield, but from kick-off the Bulls struggled. After Harrison Sohna - yet to start his suspension after his sending off three days ago - punted the ball straight out of play from kick-off in swirling wind. After gaining possession, Spennymoor broke down the wing through McKeown and having left Aaron Skinner behind, his cross was nodded home by marksman Taylor at point-blank range.
The Bulls continued to struggle to play in the conditions, regularly sending the ball out for throw-ins and keeper Theo Richardson caused needless pressure when a poor goal kick fell straight at Cameron Salkeld's feet - but Keenan Quansah was able to stop the inevitable attack.
Richardson was called into action twice in two minutes - first to deny Mackenzie Heaney's free kick before Olly Dyson's effort sailed into his gloves.
Chances became more scarce as the rain lashed down, though in the 33rd minute Richardson pulled off a fine save as Rob Ramshaw headed down into the path of Taylor but the Hereford stopper was equal to the effort.
While Harry Tustin saw an effort blocked after good work by Cormac Daly on the left, Hereford struggled to break into Spennymoor's half and were out of possession for large chunks of the half. Moors doubled their advantage in the 35th minute from Tustin's chance, hitting Hereford hard on the counterattack. As Quansah tried and failed to halt the Spennymoor attack deep in their own half, it left just Kyle Howkins at the back with two Red shirts racing on and it was an easy ask for McKeown to slide the ball home.
Before the break, McKeown could have got his second when Hereford were once again caught with a counter. From a fruitless Hereford, Salkeld sent Ramshaw on his way down the right and having crossed into McKeown at the backpost, he somehow blazed a shot over the bar when well placed.
Half time: Hereford 0 - Spennymoor Town 2
Once again facing an uphill battle after two sloppy goals - one of which came so early - Hereford changed things up in the second half as Andy Williams and Mikey Lane came on in place of a quiet Harry Tustin and Keziah Martin to try and add more firepower to a lacklustre Bulls' side.
With Moors' McKeown once again getting the better of Skinner down the right, though Hudson came to the rescue to defend the cross, Hereford soon upped the ante as they attacked the Meadow End.
The avalanche of Hereford attacks soon started, the first seeing Willo meet a cross from live-wire Daly at the near-post but unable to beat Brad James between the sticks. George Munday, searching for his eighth goal in a white shirt, then saw a viscous effort blocked before slicing an effort from the rebound wide, before Lane agonisingly shot straight at James when he should have done better from a Sohna cross.
But Hereford kept the pressure up on the Spennymoor side sitting deep within their own half, James diving to stop a driven Sohna effort before the former Cheltenham man having another effort blocked as he turned a Aaron Skinner effort goalbound.
With Quansah, Skinner and Hudson all driving forwards regularly as Hereford opted a wing-back approach, Hereford did sometimes look vulnerable at the back with a lack of pace, including in the 71st minute when Taylor, Salkeld and McKeown combined but somehow the latter stabbed an effort wide.
McKeown continued to cause problems and had the defence well-beaten seven minutes later, but it was Daly who got back to dispossess the goalscorer in the 18-yard box to deny him a goalscoring opportunity.
With the game slipping through Hereford's fingers, Sohna had chance to pull a goal back from a free kick when Williams was brought down, but his curling effort from 22-yards was palmed away by the keeper.
Munday then went close, but was denied with a goal-line clearance from Tyler Hill.
As the clock ticked into the 84th minute and the Bulls desperate for a goal, Willcox launched a rasping shot towards James's goal from 25-yards - and while the stopper could get his fingertips to the ball at full stretch, couldn't get enough on it to keep it out.
Despite continued pressure for the rest of the match - including in just four minutes of stoppage time when the visitors had been time-wasting throughout the second half, Hereford couldn't find a way back.
Full time: Hereford 1 - Spennymoor Town 2
Attendance: 2,227 (nine away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Freddy Willcox
Once again Hereford had left themselves too much to do and were punished in a poor first half showing. While the monsoon conditions at Edgar Street didn't help, sloppy defending saw them gift Spennymoor two goals - and you can't do that against one of the league's leading goalscorers in Taylor.
While the officials also didn't help, particularly the linesman under the Merton Stand struggling to make decisions on his own as well as the referee failing to get on top of Moors' timewasting, Hereford have only got themselves to blame. Tonight was a good opportunity to make up ground on teams, including Oxford City, and they failed to do so.
An interesting end to the season coming up. We really don't make it easy.
Hereford: Richardson, Skinner, Hudson, Sohna, Quansah, Munday, Daly, Martin (Williams 46'), Willcox, Tustin (Lane 46'), Howkins
Subs not used: Lewis, Preston, D'Ath, Donawa, James.
Spennymoor Town: James, Dyson, Heaney, Taylor, Ramshaw (Mondal 49'), Stephenson, Pollock, Broadbent, Hill, McKeown, Salkeld (Beals 75')
Subs: Johnson, Hancox, Williams, Foreman, Nouble.