By Scott Taylor Twitter: @ScotttaylorUK
Will Evans scored a 95th minute winner as Eastleigh came from behind to beat Woking 2-1 at the Silverlake Stadium, in a game where both sides ended with ten men.
Spitfires captain Paul Reid was sent off in the 19th minute for an off-the-ball incident whilst Woking midfielder Keiran Murtagh was dismissed 15 minutes in the second half for a second yellow.
Joey Jones put the Cards ahead in the 25th minute, but Jai Reason levelled for the hosts after the interval. Evans then won it for Eastleigh in the dying seconds as Woking’s winless run extends to eight matches.
After a cagey start, the game was delayed by ten minutes as one of the goal nets needed repairing. When the game got underway, Eastleigh created the first opportunity with Jake Cole denying Joe Partington with his left glove.
Reid was then dismissed for kicking out at Woking striker Daniel Carr, but the ten-men of Eastleigh almost opened the scoring, James Constable forcing Cole into another good save.
Woking grew back into the game, with both Carr and Matt Butcher both firing their efforts just over the crossbar. The pressure eventually told as Jones headed Woking ahead. The defender, 21, rose above his marker from a Guiseppe Sole corner to nod home from six yards out.
Eastleigh responded shortly before half-time, with Cole having to be at his best to deny Reason with a full-stretch save. In the ninth minute of stoppage time, Lee Cook’s weak shot took a wild bobble and the Woking goalkeeper did well to claw it away as Woking ended the half ahead.
Despite having ten men, it was Eastleigh who were stil on the front foot at the beginning of the second half. Reason’s 59th minute free-kick floated to the back post, where Evans rose above his man, but his header smashed the post and was cleared by the Woking defence. A minute later, Murtagh was given his second yellow for a rash challenge, which proved to be pivotal, as Eastleigh shortly equalised.
Murtagh dismissed for a rash challenge.
Lee Cook found Reason, who turned inside the penalty area and lobbed Cole to level the tie in the 68th minute. The Eastleigh onslaught did not stop there as chances fell to former Woking midfielder Josh Payne, Lee Coulsen and Reason in quick succession.
Woking created their first opportunities of the half in the 84th minute when Butcher, Godfrey Poku and Jake Caprice all having shots blocked, the latter forcing a corner.
John Goddard then fired just wide with four minutes left, but Eastleigh continued to dominate. James Constable fired inches over from six yards out before the striker was denied his 16th goal of the season by a superb close-range save from Cole.
Just as the Woking goalkeeper looked to be the hero for the Cards, Evans won it for the hosts to secure their second win in just seven matches. Woking have won just one of their last nine matches, losing six of them.
Garry Hill’s side next travel to the league leaders Cheltenham Town on Saturday in the hope of ending their run of form.
Woking XI: (4-3-3): Cole; Norman, Jones, Ricketts, Robinson; Poku, Murtagh, Butcher; Goddard, Sole (Caprice 62′), Carr (Quigley 51′).
Eastleigh XI: (4-4-2): Flitney; Partington, Evans, Reid, Harding (Green 65′); Coulson, Reason, Payne, Cook; Constable, Odubade (Midson 87′).
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(All photos from David Holmes. All photos can we found at woking.co.uk)