Hereford 1 Portsmouth 3: Neil Allen's verdict - An FA Cup upset lasting seven minutes, but Blues avoid the unthinkable

Sean Raggett’s dangerous pass to Reeco Hackett, the attacker caught in possession, and Miles Storey subsequently gleefully raced clear to break the deadlock.

It had to be a former Pompey player too. With 26 minutes on the clock, the BBC had their story – how Ronnie Radford must have smiled looking down.

Over the next seven minutes, the Fratton faithful were transported back to Aldershot, the dark days of November 2014, a maiden humiliation at the hands of non-league opposition, on that occasion captured by BT Sport.

Then Connor Ogilvie’s deep ball from the left was headed back by Ronan Curtis and there was Reeco Hackett, who took a touch before finishing left footed to level.

Crisis swiftly averted and, from that 33rd-minute moment, Danny Cowley’s men never looked like being on the receiving end of another giant-killing act.

Admittedly, it wasn’t until the 63rd minute when the visitors finally managed to take the lead, yet they were already dictating the game in an improved second-half display, albeit having to be patient.

At that point, Clark Robertson’s corner was headed home by Bishop to give the summer signing his 10th goal of the season and present the Blues with a 2-1 lead.

Robertson again was the supplier when substitute Joe Pigott sealed the cup tie, turning in Bishop’s header 10 minutes from time.

Not quite the outcome that the bulk of the 4,912 crowd in attendance anticipated, but Pompey had done enough.

The Blues’ head coach made two changes to the side which failed to break down Shrewsbury last weekend.

Ronan Curtis and Reeco Hackett were recalled, replacing Owen Dale and Dane Scarlett, who hadn’t been given permission by their parent clubs to feature.

No such problem for Pompey’s remaining three loanees, with Josh Griffiths, Josh Koroma and Pigott all named in the squad.

Sean Raggett started, despite his problematic back, although Joe Morrell was missing from the match-day after playing against AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday evening.

While Tom Lowery made a welcome return to the squad having been missing with a hamstring injury since mid-September, to occupy the bench at Edgar Street.

Meanwhile, with Dan Gifford and Harry Jewitt-White cup-tied, Cowley called upon Adam Payce, Koby Mottoh and Josh Dockerill to bolster his bench.

The trio all played in the previous night’s Academy 6-1 win over Three Bridges in the FA Youth Cup, travelling on the day of the game to link-up with the first-team.

For Hereford, former Pompey loanee Miles Storey, now in his second season at Edgar Street, was in their starting XI.

He featured for the Blues in the first half of the 2014-15 season on loan from Swindon, making 22 appearances and scoring three times.

It was announced there would be a minute’s tribute for Ronnie Radford before kick-off, yet both sets of supporters instinctively applauded instead, for a touching recption for the Hereford great.

Pompey kicked the game off and, in the opening minutes, Ryan Tunnicliffe hooked a left-footed half-volley towards goal following Clark Robertson’s left wing corner.

It was diverted by the head of Connor Ogilvie, effectively, helping the attempt on, but instead he steered it straight into the arms of keeper Dale Eve.

In a patient opening, Hackett brought a superb flying save from Eve on 14 minutes when he curled a left-footed shot towards the top corner.

Operating behind lone striker Colby Bishop, the former Bromley man had started the match encouragingly with some flashes of skill, while now demonstrated his danger from shooting positions.

Jay Mingi became the first to enter the referee’s notebook when he took out Harry Pinchard on the touchline, much to the disgust of home fans.

However, Hereford took the lead on 26 minutes following a mistake from Hackett.

Raggett passed the ball to the attacker, who was caught in possession by Storey, with the Bulls player then surging clear and calmly placing it past the onrushing Josh Griffiths.

The hosts’ lead would last seven minutes before Hackett made amends.

Ogilvie’s deep cross from the left was headed back by Curtis and there was the man whose mistake earlier gifted Hereford the lead, taking one touch before finishing left-footed to make it 1-1.

Crucially, Pompey hadn’t been behind long, but, after equalising, were still finding trouble generating any sort of fluency about their play.

Certainly they didn’t look like building on Hackett’s goal and instead it was the Bulls who finished the half the stronger of the two teams.

Colby Bishop did at least meet Koroma’s right-wing corner with his head, but it bounced well wide of the far post as it ended 1-1 at the interval.

There were no substitutions for either side after the break, yet the Blues were enjoying far more early possession, with the hosts content to play considerably deeper.

As for Pompey, Curtis was switched centrally, with Hackett now playing on the right flank as they attempted to force a way through.

On 60 minutes, Tunnicliffe slipped a superb through ball which was collected by Swanson, who pulled back a cross.

Curtis galloped onto it and swung his right foot, only for a brilliant goal-saving block from Orrin Pendley to thwart him, conceding a corner.

Cowley made a double change on 61 minutes, with Curtis and Mingi coming off for Lowery and Joe Pigott.

Just two minutes later, Pompey took the lead for the first time in the FA Cup tie.

Robertson’s corner from the left was headed home by Bishop to make it 2-1 - and take his season’s tally to double figures.

On 78 minutes, Pigott’s flick-on released Bishop inside the box, yet his low right-footed shot was blocked by Eve’s legs to concede a corner.

The resulting flag kick delivered from the left by Robertson was met by the head of Bishop and steered into the net by the flying foot of Pigott to put the visitors 3-1 in front.

With full-time approaching, Koroma won a free-kick down the left and, picking himself up to take, drew the keeper into a scrambling save at his far post.

Still, Pompey had their victory, no shock here. Yet, for seven minutes, the doubts were creeping in.