Waltham Abbey’s South Central Division play-off hopes took another blow with a narrow 2-1 loss at fellow hopefuls and local rivals Cheshunt.

Mark Hughes scored either side of Ellis Brown’s equaliser for the away side to settle a fiery derby that leaves Abbey four points and three places behind their opponents in the table.

The first half was a cagey and scrappy affair, with the Abbey defence under waves of pressure from Brian Moses and Hafeez Sanusi, and it was Moses who had the first real chance of the game, fizzing a low shot towards the near post that was well held by Fred Burbidge.

The game’s turning point came on 34 minutes when Cheshunt were reduced to 10 men. After the ball bounced just shy of the halfway line, debutant Jonathon Munday steamed into a challenge with his studs showing, and the referee had no choice but to dismiss him.

Abbey got the second half underway and were immediately on the attack, looking to make the most of their numerical advantage. Brown, Nathan Korateng and Charlie Edwards all had efforts saved, while Christian Assombalonga came the closest when he smashed the crossbar.

Despite this, it was the home side that took the lead on 62 minutes when Hughes stooped to glance in a corner.

Only three minutes later though, Abbey pulled themselves back into it as the ball squirmed through the home defence before finding Brown, and he rounded Harry Girling in the Cheshunt goal to give himself an easy finish.

The game swung again five minutes later, and the home side were back in front, this time from the penalty spot after a Moses cross was handled, and Hughes stepped up to convert and restore the lead, and that was how it stayed until the end.

Abbey face another tough test next Saturday (February 23) when they visit seventh-placed Tooting & Mitcham United to try and get their play-off bid back on track.