Hereford boss Josh Gowling's honest verdict after Portsmouth FA Cup defeat

Nevertheless, the Bulls boss insisted the difference in quality was there for all to see between the League One and National League North outfits.

Although there were three divisions between the two sides, the hosts took the lead midway through the first period with ex-Blues striker Miles Storey netting against his former club.

But Danny Cowley’s men proved too hot to handle in the end, with a dominant second-half display seeing them advance with a comfortable 3-1 victory.

Gowling was left disappointed by that as he believed Danny Cowley’s side were there for the taking.

He told the Hereford Times: ‘I was really disappointed and I thought we could have got something from the game.

‘We should have got something out of the game apart from the two set plays, but goals change games and the quality of the deliveries that they have got changes games.

‘In the first half we were excellent and worked hard but one mistake cost us a goal and that’s the levels.

‘We’ve done what we did at the start of the season and imploded a little bit. We’ve got the ball at the back and give it away when we need to move the ball quickly.

‘When you play against a League One side and how they break, they’re going to score and that’s disappointing.

‘To concede a goal like that is disappointing because we were in the ascendancy, they looked nervous, we looked like we were on top and looked to go on and win the game.

‘You then give them a leg up and give them a lift and you can see their performance raised after that.’

Appearing in the National League North, Hereford aren’t a full-time club after they were reformed in 2015.

Gowling said the difference in quality to Cowley’s League One side was evident as they exited the competition in the first round.

‘They’re League One aren’t they,’ he laughed.

‘I know what the Cowley brothers do, how hard they work and how meticulous they are.

‘They have them every day and they’re League One players. They’re playing three leagues above us and the quality is vastly different.

‘They moved the ball that much quicker and sometimes it’s hard to shift across the pitch.’