A goal in each half saw Hereford United celebrate their return to the Football League with victory at Edgeley Park.
How they managed to return to Edgar Street with all three points, though, was down to the Hatters inability to put the ball in the back of the net, some inspired goalkeeping from Wayne Brown and some real bad luck.
County, who dominated the game from start to finish, had no fewer than 27 efforts on goal but still drew a blank.
On loan striker Glen Murray missed two chances in the opening five minutes as the Hatters attacked the Railway End with vigour.
Michael Rose, playing against one of his former clubs, hit the foot of the post with a free kick and Keith Briggs blazed the rebound over.
Five minutes later Brown made the first of series of fine saves to deny Jason Taylor. All this in the opening 15 minutes.
Six minutes later Briggs' header from Rose's corner was blocked on the line as was Michael Raynes' follow up. Tony Dinning then hit the rebound just wide.
Hereford threatened for the first time from the restart and James Spencer had to be at his best to turn Tamika Mkandawire's header over.
On 27 minutes Brown excelled again when he somehow kept out Murray's close-range volley from Michael Malcolm's cross from the left.
Murray came close again on the half-hour when he rose at the far post but headed Malcolm's cross just wide.
The Bulls stunned Edgeley Park by taking the lead 8 minutes before the break. Stuart Fleetwood turned Raynes and then beat Spencer with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box.
Murray had another chance three minutes later when Le Fondre played him clear but he sliced his left-foot shot wide.
Fleetwood scared County again just after the break when he turned Owen but the defender, on loan, from Oldham, recovered in the nick of time.
Damien Allen replaced Taylor in a tactical switch and the Stockport-born midfielder almost equalised straight away but the inspired Brown was equal to his angled drive.
County pressed the self-destruct button on the hour. Rose hit a difficult back pass to Spencer who conceded a corner trying to clear. The flag-kick came in and Mkandawire was left unmarked to power a header home from six yards.
The Hatters continued to carve out chances with Owen, twice, Le Fondre and Williams all coming close.
Even a change of goalkeeper due to an injury to Brown - he was replaced by non-contract former Liverpool goalkeeper Paul Harrison - didn't make a difference.
And when Le Fondre's header was ruled out for offside - a really close call - you just knew it wasn't going to be County's day.
