Ware were missing Charlie Yexley and Gareth Madden to injury but welcomed Ben Hart to the substitutes bench after his own lengthy lay off. None of this made much difference to a game that Cheshunt took control of from early on, exploiting a recurring inability in the Ware defence to deal with set pieces. It was hardly what Paul Halsey would have wanted as he took the reins for the first time after John Dreyer's resignation.

After just four minutes Patrick Adamson's free kick was headed home by Mark Hughes to establish a pattern that was repeated just after the half hour. Another Adamson free kick found its way to Jason Hallet to beat defenders and Harry ricketts in the Ware goal.

It was four minutes into the second half when Cheshunt killed off what, after a poor first half, must have been just slight hopes of a Ware recovery. Following a scramble in the Cheshunt goal mouth play returned to the Ware box where another goal mouth melee saw the ball come off Louis Bowen's heel for an own goal for 3-0.

It became four goals on 73 minutes when another set piece saw the ball played in low to an unmarked Hughes who scored his second of the day with apparent ease.

Ware never got going in this game with Cheshunt controlling the passage of play and denying Blues many chances. As a result Ware, who had been scoring at a rate of almost three a game in previous matches, failed to score for the first time this season.

The defeat was not the heaviest of the day with FC Romania going down 6-0 at Bracknell and Bedfont Sports 6-2 at home to Hayes and Yeading. At this early stage of the season the winners have established a strong place at the head of the table and the losers already look to be facing a hard struggle at the other end.

Ware now lie in 15th place and having not played at home since the start of the season will look to Saturday's game at home to Molesey to re-establish confidence.

Harry Ricketts, Billy Baird (Ben Hart 86mins), Dominique Njoya, Jordon Watson, Bradley Fraser, Louis Bowen, Alaa Oujdi, Dave Cowley (Ross Elsom 85mins), Lauric Diakiesse (Callum Taylor 57mins), Albert Adu, Jack Daveney. Unused subs: Kofi Appiah, Vlantislav Gkontsarov.