Invicta were comfortably beaten on Tuesday on a freezing cold night at the Alcaline Stadium as Cheshunt’s Antonis Vasiliou and Tommy Wood bagged a brace apiece to take 3 points back to Hertfordshire.

Manager Andy Drury opted for a selection and system that matched the second half of Saturday’s trip to Bowers & Pitsea, with Ade Yusuff afforded his first start since returning. Joe Tyrie lined up in the centre of defence in the absence of Marvel Ekpiteta with Sam Smith at left back.

Invicta had opened the scoring inside a minute in our previous 2 home fixtures but it was the visitors who struck early this time, after 69 seconds. A low ball from the left cleared to the edge of the penalty area where Vasiliou met it to strike a first time effort into the top corner.

As Invicta looked for a response Dan Smith was beaten to a cutback from Evans Kouassi by the Cheshunt goalkeeper R’avan Constable before a dangerous cross from Sam Smith skimmed the head of Ade Yusuff who was unable to get enough to turn it goal-bound. Joe Tyrie headed wide from a free kick, Invicta’s best chance of the evening coming from the resulting goal kick. Constable slipped as he took his kick, which found Kouassi who played a first time ball back over the defence and into the path of Yusuff. The no. 10 took a touch to round the keeper, but it proved too heavy and ran out of play.

Tyrie suffered a knock to the foot that saw the young defender replaced by Amadou Kassaraté shortly before the half hour mark.

Invicta dominated the ball without creating chances against a well-drilled Cheshunt side as the temperatures began to flare. A member of the visitors coaching staff was booked after Yusuff was fouled in front of the dugouts before Darion Furlong joined him for taking too long over a throw in.

Yusuff and Kouassi combined shortly before half time to force Constable’s best save of the evening, the former on the end of a long clearance before pulling into space to get the ball back from his teammate but his fierce effort was held well at the near post. Into injury time a cleared corner was returned to the penalty area by Sam Smith, Rance sending a looping header over the stranded Constable but Yusuff beaten to what would have been a close range header by a defender. A similar ball from Smith in the last of 5 added minutes found his namesake Dan, who failed to make decent contact with a volley as the ball came over his shoulder, the final kick of the half.

The game was ripped away from Invicta in the space of 2 minutes and 10 seconds early in the 2nd half. The visitors doubled their lead 10 minutes after the restart, working the ball to the byline on the right flank, a cutback taking a deflection off the foot of Jebb allowing Wood to divert it home with his upper body at the near post. Before Invicta had time to regroup, it was 3-0. A throw from the right cleared to the edge of the box before being returned in to Wood who found space to turn and poke the ball beyond Henly.

The visitors’ now with their tails up began to control the evening. Vasiliou shot harmlessly wide from distance before Rob Hall saw an effort blocked. Vasiliou completed the night’s scoring with 15 minutes to go, another throw headed clear to the edge of the penalty area, returned into the crowd for the no. 7 to turn home.

Cheshunt manager Mel Gwinnett was sent off late on, defender Jack Thomas forced off with a blood injury and the visitors trying to bring on a replacement, Gwinnett appeared to have crossed a line in his assessment of the situation.

Invicta finally began to threaten the Cheshunt goal in injury time. Substitutes Matthias Fanimo and Frankie Morgan both strung the palms of Constable with fierce left-footed efforts before the referee brought proceedings to a close.

Invicta now have 3 days to bounce back as we look towards a trip to Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday before back-to-back home fixtures against Canvey Island and Horsham.