Former Hereford United chairman/manager Graham Turner watched the game at Edgar Street yesterday.
Before kick-off Matt Healey had a few words with him.
"It's lovely to be back," said Turner.
"This is the third time this season and I've enjoyed every one.
"Portsmouth in the FA Cup was a bit disappointing, the outcome of it.
"There's some good signs with the club again. I'm hoping it's the beginning of a revival again so we can get back to League status.
"Portsmouth was an excellent occasion and I thought we played very well in the first half, very much their equal.
"And it was such a shame, half expected it to die off a little bit, they've got superior fitness, better players, kept the ball better.
"But overall I think the club did itself a lot of credit through a televised game."
Turner was asked what advice he would give Josh Gowling.
"Enjoy it!
"You've got to, the job is daft, the expectations are crazy.
"The one thing you got have to do is make sure when you come in every morning you've got to be the life and soul of things.
"You've got to lift the players.
"You are the motivator and you've got to do that in abundance.
"He has to keep his spirit up and he has to keep his players right.
"They've got enough ability in the side to mount a challenge.
"Two great results the last two games, let's hope it's the start of better things."
Turner was then asked his views about plastic pitches.
"Crazy!"
He felt the quality of the turf has improved.
"You look back to our time of playing and we used to have a diamond up the middle of the pitch where there wasn't a blade of grass from October time.
"More recently the quality of the pitches have been excellent so I would be totally against any thoughts of a plastic pitch.
"I know there are commercial activities that could go on on the pitch seven days a week but we're about football and a football club and I don't think plastic is what we should be playing on."
Next month Turner is off to Wolves and working with Matt Murray who came to Edgar Street in 2008.
"Matt is a lovely fellow. It was such a shame he had to finish through injury just getting on the fringe of the England team. It was a tragedy for him.
"I've kept in touch with him. Smashing fellow."