The Victorian was two ahead at the start of the weekend and extended that advantage to three shots just after the turn before two bogeys on the back nine saw him sign for a 70 and sit at 15-under.

That opened the door for American Veerman, who carded a 67 to be the nearest challenger, two shots clear of South African Justin Harding, whose 65 was the lowest round of the day.

Winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic last year, Herbert can secure a place at The Open Championship from July 15 with a top-three finish and was disappointed not to keep the field further at bay going into the final round.

“Obviously conditions got pretty tricky out there and definitely tested everyone enough to get the scoring to go out a little bit,” said the 25-year-old.

“It was a solid day I guess you’d say but in some ways frustrating. I felt like I could have put some real distance between myself and the field and didn’t do that.

“I want to get to 20-under as a personal goal. So if I can do that, someone’s got to come catch me and if they do, good luck to them.

“To win the Irish Open would be really cool, whether it’s wire to wire or not. I think it would be a really cool one to put on your resumé that you’ve won the Irish Open.”

Herbert almost holed his approach to the second and made a three footer for birdie before taking two putts from 22 feet at the par-5 fifth to get to 15-under.

He was three ahead at that point but Veerman trimmed the gap as he made a dash to the turn after birdieing the first and bogeying the third.

He put his approach to six feet for an eagle at the fifth and then pitched to tap-in range at the eighth before holing from 15 feet at the ninth.

Herbert re-established his cushion with two putts from the fringe at the eighth but Veerman made a two-putt birdie of his own at the 10th.

An up-and-down from the sand on the 10th extended the lead once more but Herbert missed the green on the 11th and it was back to two.

Veerman found sand at the par-3 14th to drop a shot but Herbert did the same and the leader was having his first wobble of the day.

Veerman then got up and down at the 17th and the lead was cut to one, with Herbert saving par after a poor tee shot on the last.

West Australian Jason Scrivener (70) remains in contention five back of Herbert in a tie for seventh at 10-under with Min Woo Lee (73) looking to record his best finish of the year, tied for 21st through three rounds at 7-under.

Queenslander Maverick Antcliff was the only other Aussie to make the cut and is level with Lee at 7-under after a third round of 4-under 68.

Elsewhere in Europe Central Coast native Dimi Papadatos is chasing his maiden Challenge Tour title, going into the final round of the Kaskada Golf Challenge just one stroke off the lead after a brilliant round of 6-under 65 on day three.

With a five-way tie at the top of the leaderboard at 12-under, Papdatos will be in the second-to-last group at the Kaskada Golf Resort in the Czech Republic, the leading player not already exempt to also earn a place at The Open Championship.

Kiwi Josh Geary is level with Papadatos at 11-under with first-round leader Blake Windred tied for 40th at 3-under with one round to play.