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| Tom Pugh celebrates his goal |
In a similar vein to last weekend's 2-0 FA Trophy win over Torquay, the buoyant Bulls made the most of their first half dominance, giving them a comfortable 2-0 lead at half time.
But a failure to kill the game off, starting with an early Yusifu Ceesay second half penalty, cost them dearly as the Linnets fought back.
There were early chances for Hereford, within the opening five minutes of the game they'd put the Linnets under pressure. It was Yusifu Ceesay, lively as ever down the right, who sent a good ball into Adam Rooney in the box but his shot hit defender Josh Coulson. As the rebound pinged around the box, there was a second shot blocked before Ceesay blasted a shot into a blue shirt.
Tom Pugh, playing in an advance roll with Alex Babos on the bench, first had a tame shot easily saved by Paul Jones. He then intercepted a dodgy defensive header from King's Lynn, but Kyle McFadden leapt in front of the effort to deny him the opener.
There was more great play down the right as Adam Rooney teed up Pugh but, despite being well placed, opted to quickly lay off to Tope Obadeyi. The Banbury loanee, who’d initially made the run down the flank and beat his man, failed to hit the ball with any conviction and it was an easy claim for the 37-year-old former Exeter City stopper.
The Lilywhites then saw a curling Ceesay cross claimed by the back-peddling keeper, under pressure from Rooney, before the winger then burst into the box but dragged his shot side.
With the ability – and space – to string passes together, working the ball through midfield to mount attacks, it was only a matter of time before Hereford took the lead.
It came from Obadeyi, his first goal in a Hereford shirt, in the 25th minute. After neat passing deep in King's Lynn's half, Obadeyi cut in and buried the ball in the back of the net past Jones.
He could've had a second moments later after Ceesay's lightning run saw him burst into the box, but after switching the ball to Obadeyi, Greg Taylor got his body in the way of the shot.
The second came within five minutes of the first though as Tom Pugh doubled his side’s lead. Almost echoing the cracking free kick against Torquay, his lofted shot from the left arced over the keeper and into the back of the net.
The third could've come if it were not for a last-ditch challenge from McFadden, abruptly halting a Lassana Mendes break towards goal. It wasn't the only thing brought to an abrupt end as McFadden came off worse and went off injured
– after being booked.
The lengthy stoppage saw King's Lynn regroup and temporarily pause Hereford's momentum, with Kyle Howkins on hand with a diving header to turn an inviting King's Lynn cross behind for a fruitless corner.
Half time: Hereford 2 - King's Lynn Town 0
After a positive first half with a slew of chances and tidy, organised play from Paul Caddis's side, the second half could've got off to a near-perfect
Obadeyi, under pressure from three Linnets defenders high on the left flank, twisted and turned his way to freedom before being upended on the edge of the area. From 20 yards, Pugh’s free kick hit Josh Coulson's hand in the wall and referee Constantine Hatzidakis pointed unhesitatingly to the spot.
After keeper Jones was booked for booting the ball into row Z, up upstepped Ceesay who saw his low, driven spot kick saved and put out for a corner.
The Ceesay chants from the Meadow End continued as Hereford tried to make the most of the set pieces but it wasn't to be.
It was soon the home side under needless pressure from their own corner when Curtis Pond came racing out of his box to try and claim the ball from Owen Devenport. Pulling out before committing a foul, Pond was left beaten but Devenport fired into the side netting as Mendes raced back to try and protect the open goal.
The Linnets then reduced the deficit to one as Gebriel Rogers's cross found Tom Hughes unmarked at the back post to head home.
A rasping shot from Ceesay, picking up a poor clearance, then stung the hands of the keeper but couldn't find its way into the back of the net.
With Andy Williams and Alex Babos now on for Adam Rooney and Aurio Teixeria, who had both put a shift in, Hereford still could've put the game to bed. Obadeyi had a shot saved by the keeper's feet before Willo headed over, with Babos also having a shot on the turn sail wide.
But something just wasn't the same in the second half for Hereford, perhaps King's Lynn were more determined with a point in touching distance, or the reorganisation of midfield not being as effective.
Much sooner on Hereford's heels and not giving them as much room on the ball, there was more pressure from the Linnets and perhaps you could sense an equaliser was coming.
That wasn't before Willo had another chance, but that was duly saved by Jones. The rebound fell to Ceesay 15 yards out and while he should've struck it first time before Jones recovered, he took a touch and poked the ball wide.
But then there was the equaliser. A sucker punch for Hereford who should've been three or four goals ahead before Hughes got on the scoresheet.
As the visitors sent the ball into the box from a throw, it was nodded back to Cameron Hargreaves who smashed the ball past Pond in the 90th minute.
With seven minutes of injury time still to play, there were chances from Obadeyi and Willo – and Hughes at the other end of the park – but the game was to end a disappointing draw.
A couple of top class saves from Jones, coupled with missed chances from Hereford, cost them dearly in this game. Instead of three points and fourth place in the league, it was two points dropped and sixth.
Full time: Hereford 2 - King's Lynn Town 2
Attendance: 2,497 (33 away)
Sponsors' man of the match: Tope Obadeyi
Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Teixeira (Babos 70), Downing (c), Ceesay, Pugh, Obadeyi, Mendes, Southern, Rooney (Williams 70), Howkins
Subs: Livingstone, Derricott, Cameron
King's Lynn Town: Jones, Crowe (Curtis 82), McFadden (Ronan 35), Taylor, Coulson (c), Rogers, Hughes, Hargreaves, Morrison, Devonport (Castro 75'), Margetts
Subs: Dixon-Hodge, Brown