Cherries’ record-breaking start suffered a dent as Marc Pugh’s second-half double condemned them to defeat at Edgar Street tonight.

Pugh netted either side of a finely-taken Steve Fletcher effort as Eddie Howe’s men had their colours lowered for only the second time this season.

Goalkeeper Shwan Jalal kept Cherries in contention with a string of excellent first-half saves but was powerless to prevent Pugh sinking them after the break.

Boss Howe made one change to the Cherries starting line-up with midfielder Marvin Bartley drafted in for Josh McQuoid.

McQuoid dropped down to the bench where he had plenty of room alongside Alan Connell and Jason Tindall as Howe again named only three substitutes.

The Bulls went close to drawing first blood when James Walker’s low drive after five minutes flashed past the base of Shwan Jalal’s right-hand post.

Cherries countered when Brett Pitman’s glancing header from a Liam Feeney cross just cleared the crossbar.

Hereford goalkeeper Adam Bartlett saved Pitman’s weak drive before Jalal blocked with his legs after Pugh had let fly after weaving into the danger zone.

Jalal got down smartly to smother another Pugh effort, while Pitman’s ambitious scissors kick sailed high over the crossbar following a Fletcher flick.

Mark Marshall’s driven cross caused a few palpitations inside the 18-yard box but, although Jalal could only palm it to Craig King, the striker was unable to profit.

Jalal was then forced to hare off his line to beat King to a Kenny Lunt through ball before Walker’s angled drive flashed across the face of the goalmouth.

Former Eastleigh winger Marshall, on loan to the Bulls from Swindon, saw his crisp shot from 20 yards fly over the top midway through the first half.

And Marshall, once a target for former Cherries boss Kevin Bond, had a long-range free kick scooped up by Jalal as the hosts made most of the early running.

At the opposite end, Pitman clipped a free kick over the crossbar before Scott Guyett headed a Warren Cummings corner narrowly past the upright.

Cherries had an escape after Walker had intercepted Guyett’s weak headed backpass, the striker lifting his shot over the top after Jalal had quickly closed him down.

For all their pressure, the hosts had goalkeeper Bartlett to thank for saving the day after Lee Bradbury had created Cherries’ clearest chance of the half six minutes before the break.

Bartlett threw himself full length to his left to push Bradbury’s left-foot shot on to the post, with Darren Jones blocking Pitman’s follow-up effort.

On the stroke of half-time, Jalal’s exemplary handling deserted him when King’s shot squirmed through his grasp, although Bradbury was there to hack the ball off the line.

Inside the opening minute of the second half, Lunt’s 25-yard piledriver fizzed past Jalal’s right-hand upright before the Bulls made the breakthrough in the 50th minute.

Pugh finished adeptly from an acute angle after King had teed him up with a clever pass following a surging run into the 18-yard box.

And as Hereford went in search of a quick second, Jalal dived bravely at the feet of Ryan Valentine to check the defender’s run.

Jalal then stood tall to beat away a close-range drive from Marshall before a switch saw Connell replace Feeney on the hour.

And just seconds later, Cherries levelled when Fletcher held off a posse of defenders, turned on a sixpence and dispatched a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

Buoyed by Fletcher’s equaliser, Cherries went close to taking the lead when Pitman’s thunderous free kick flew inches past the post.

Bradbury followed Bulls substitute Darren Dennehy into referee Paul Tierney’s notebook following a crunching challenge on Valentine after 74 minutes.

And after Bradbury had been dispossessed, the ball was laid to Valentine who saw his venomous strike whistle past the upright.

However, disaster struck for Cherries when Pugh added his and Hereford’s second with 12 minutes remaining.

The former Shrewsbury man beat Jalal with an arrow-like finish into the bottom corner from 12 yards after King, on loan from Leicester, had provided the assist.

Howe threw on Josh McQuoid with nine minutes remaining and, although Cherries pressed hard for a second equaliser in the closing stages, the Bulls stood firm.

Cherries: Jalal, Bradbury (McQuoid, 81), Pearce, Guyett, Cummings, Feeney (Connell, 60), Bartley, Hollands, Robinson, Fletcher, Pitman.

Unused subs: Tindall.

Booked: Bradbury.

Bulls: Bartlett, Lowe, Jones, Blanchett (Dennehy, 65), Valentine, Marshall, Gwynne, Lunt, Pugh, King, Walker.

Unused subs: Rose, Constantine, Sonko, Done, McCallum, Adamson (g/k).

Booked: Dennehy.

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).

Attendance: 2,104 (including 431 away supporters).