Waltham Abbey’s South Central Division play-off hopes were dented at the weekend at high-flying Bracknell Town recorded a 5-1 win at Capershotts.

The win sees Abbey fall four points behind Bracknell, who go up to third in the table, while Michael Spencer’s side sit seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Ware.

Abbey fell behind after just eight minutes when Liam Ferdinand tapped in from Ash Artwell’s ball across the box, and the lead was doubled ten minutes later when Jamie McClurg ran onto Artwell’s ball and squared across for Adam Cornell to convert.

The hosts were coming under relentless pressure from the visitors and they were thankful towards goalkeeper Fred Burbidge, who did well to save from Ferdinand and Artwell before the first half ended.

Abbey found a way back into the game ten minutes after the restart, with Billy Holland pulling one back but, only six minutes later, Bracknell restored their two-goal advantage when Kensley Maloney slammed home.

The home side were put well and truly out of the game after 72 minutes wen Ferdinand fired home his second and the forward completed his hat-trick with four minutes to go, firing in from outside the box to compound Abbey’s misery.

Abbey face another big test next, travelling to fifth-placed Cheshunt on Saturday, February 16.