ACCRINGTON Stanley scored three times before half time as they cruised to victory at home to Hereford United tonight to close in on the play-off places once more.

Stanley had been held to frustrating if respectable draws in their previous two matches at Crewe and Aldershot but they comfortably eased past Hereford to move to 10th in League Two - just three points away from the top seven.

Terry Gornell put Stanley ahead in the 16th minute when he flicked Ian Craney's initial shot past keeper Adam Bartlett, and a well-worked short corner routine saw Jimmy Ryan rifle home a second in the 43rd minute.

And there was still time for a third before the interval as Sean McConville superbly volleyed into the corner from Ryan's pass.

Gornell then made it 4-0 11 minutes into the second half as Hereford keeper Bartlett was dispossessed in comical fashion attempting to sidestep the striker, who rolled the ball into the empty net for his second of the game.

Stanley: Alex Cisak; Dean Winnard, Phil Edwards, Sean Hessey, Joe Jacobson (Kevin Long 83); Luke Joyce, Andy Procter (Peter Murphy 76); Jimmy Ryan (Charlie Barnett 71), Ian Craney, Sean McConville; Terry Gornell. Subs not used: Ian Dunbavin, Ray Putterill, Rory Boulding, Craig Lindfield.

Hereford: Adam Bartlett; Ryan Green, Michael Townsend, Stefan Stam, Joe Heath; Joe Colbeck, Richard Rose (Nicky Featherstone 61), James McQuilkin, Rob Purdie; Waide Fairhurst (Adrian Patulea 82), Jason Price (Steven Leslie 64). Subs not used: Russell Hoult, Janos Kovacs, Kenny Lunt, Stuart Fleetwood.

Referee: Peter Quinn.

Attendance: 1,632.