A cagey opening spell saw both sides test defences rather than goalkeepers, Alfie Bawling finding good positions ahead of the Cheshunt defence & Kayne Diedrick Roberts and Reece Beckles Richards seeing a lot of the ball & able to run at the home defence while Mo Camara kept their central defenders busy. The first major decision came on the quarter hour when Joe Re advanced clipping the ball ahead but stopped in his tracks by a high and late lunge from Stephanous Georgiou trying desperately to push the ball out. A red card followed and it wasn’t long before the Ambers took advantage. They released Beckles Richards down the right & his low cross was met at the near post by Mo Camara for the opener.

The team numbers were evened up when a poor pass back to Taylor Mackenzie saw the Ambers centre half caught on the ball by Georgios Aresti, as both players went down there was a question mark as to whether Aresti committed the first offence, but Mackenzie certainly committed the last, and central to the goal 35 yards out, referee Bolland saw fit to issue his second red card of the afternoon, forcing the Ambers into a reshuffle, sacrificing Diedrick Roberts to get Amadou Kassarate into the back four.

The Ambers went to the break 1-0 to the good, hoping to post an early score with the 1pm kick off and force Folkestone & Lewes into chasing their 3pm matches to keep up. Haringey created a temporary blip to the plan when David Olufemi tapped home the equaliser two minutes into the second half.  Amadou Kassarate restored the Cheshunt lead when a vicious Nick Dib corner swung inwards under the Haringey bar was punched by keeper Alfie Marigliani, alas straight up in the air, Kassarate leapt highest and had the momentum to head home with everyone following the ball into the net.

The goal of the afternoon came when Cheshunt stretched Haringey down their right side with McLean and Beckles Richards combining well, Camara started his run towards the box taking defenders with him , then checked 20 yards out, the cut back to him was curled low into the opposite corner for his second and Cheshunt’s third.  Haringey did not roll over and some sloppy passing from Cheshunt and some hard work closing down with ten men saw Cheshunt start to defend deep, Haringey forced several corners and bought good saves from Preston Edwards to keep Cheshunt’s advantage.  With five minutes to go Haringey set up a nervous finish when Cheshunt failed to clear effectively and short passes found substitute Hassan Nalbant on the penalty spot with an opening to stroke home their second.  As Haringey pressed for an equaliser Cheshunt regained some composure running the clock down in the corners where possible, but always with the threat of Zack Newton’s pace to chase down out balls, in the event the game was taken away from Haringey in additional time when a sublime touch from Mo Camara  released Jamie Reynolds on half way, with Haringey’s defence pushed high in support of their forwards he ran the length of their half with the ball at his feet then calmly slotted past Marigliani’s right hand as the keeper advanced.

Three points gained against an always dangerous derby opponent, the Ambers retire to the ice baths to prepare for Bishop’s Stortford on Monday with one eye on results elsewhere.