By Gregg Davies @ Vale Park
Hereford United's winless run stretched to seven games in all competitions following a 2-0 reverse to Port Vale, who were forced to play with 10 men for more than 50 minutes.
Craig Davies' early opener was added to by Marc Richards in injury-time after Lewis Haldane had been sent off five minutes before the interval for Micky Adams' side.
Ryan Valentine then received his second yellow card of the afternoon and second red card of the season moments before the final whistle following an off-the-ball melee.
John Trewick made one change to the side that started the narrow beating by Bury, with West Bromwich Albion loanee Lateef Elford-Alliyu starting up front in place of Craig King.
Hereford threatened to net inside the first minute, with Marc Pugh centring for former Vale striker Leon Constantine to hook comfortably wide from the edge of penalty area.
While at the opposite end, Louis Dodds' overhead-kick across the face of Adam Bartlett's goal failed to find a team-mate.
The hosts soon edged ahead, after Davies was afforded acres of space down the right channel.
The Brighton loanee coolly rounded the advanced Bulls' shot-stopper and slotted the ball into the unguarded net.
Dodds then lashed over the crossbar following some hap-hazard defending from the visitors on the edge of their own danger-zone, before toe-poking the ball against the post after Richards' 25-yarder had hit the opposite upright.
Hereford eventually settled and - after Richards had blazed Adam Yates' inviting cross high and wide from close-range - proceeded to dominate possession for the remainder of the half.
However, they failed to seriously test the Valiants' custodian Chris Martin, with Constantine's headed effort ruled out for offside, before glancing goal-wards again, only to see the ball cannon back off the far post.
The Bulls were boosted shortly before half-time after Haldane - already booked for diving - was shown a second yellow card after tangling with Pugh off-the-ball.
But the visitors could not make the most of their numerical advantage, despite forcing 12 corners during the contest.
Vale came close to doubling their lead straight after the restart with Richards' deflected strike forcing a fine save from a wrong-footed Bartlett.
It preceded a sustained spell of possession from the Bulls, who continually poured forward in search of parity.
Both Pugh and Keith Lowe headed narrowly wide from flag-kicks before Darren Jones tried his luck from 30 yards but sliced his smash off-target.
Elford-Alliyu then met Matt Done's left-wing centre with a first-time flick that arrowed inches wide of the post, before a similar centre from Valentine missed the onrushing substitiute Mathieu Manset by millimetres.
James McQuilkin - on for the injured Jamie Tolley in the first period - forced Martin into his only serious save of the match with a vicious 25-yarder, and fired a yard over from a similar distance soon after.
And Gavin McCallum - introduced for the final 15 minutes - found space inside the penalty-area, but saw the sting taken out of his strike by Yates' deflection.
Having dealt with everything Hereford had to throw at them, the hosts ended the contest deep into injury-time, with former Bull Lee Collins driving forward on the counter-attack and setting up Richards to beat Bartlett with ease.
United's misery multiplied seconds before the final whistle, as Valentine headed for a slightly early bath following a bout of argy-bargy with Richards.
Port Vale (4-4-2): Martin, Yates, Owen, Collins, K. Taylor, Haldane, Fraser, Griffith (Howland 83), Dodds (Loft 83), Richards, Davies (Rigg 64).
Subs Not Used: Anyon (GK), McCombe, R. Taylor, Glover.
Booked: Haldane, K. Taylor, Howland, Richards.
Sent off: Haldane (40).
Hereford United (4-4-2): Bartlett ©, Gwynne, D. Jones, Lowe, Valentine, Pugh, Lunt, Tolley (McQuilkin 32), Done (McCallum 75), Constantine, Elford-Alliyu (Manset 71).
Subs Not Used: Adamson, Downing, Weir, King.
Booked: Valentine, Gwynne.
Sent off: Valentine (90+5).
Attendance: 4,686 - 177 away
