Woking fell to a 2-0 pre-season defeat at home to Championship outfit Portsmouth.

Goalds from Adrian Segecic and Paddy Lane gave Pompey the victory in an entertaining encounter in front of a crowd of 1,691 at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

The visitors named a strong starting line-up and nearly took the lead in the second minute when Michael Ani’s cross was headed home by Thomas Waddingham, but the Australian forward was offside.

Terry Devlin was next to try his luck for Pompey on eight minutes when he picked up a loose ball in midfield and fired a powerful right-foot shot over the bar.

John Mousinho’s side went close again two minutes later when Connor Ogilvie won the ball on the left and picked out Josh Murphy, who dragged his right-foot shot wide of the left-hand post.

Murphy returned the favour to Ogilvie on 12 minutes, and Pompey’s left-back hit a powerful left-foot shot which was well parried away by Cards keeper Will Jaaskelainen.

Pompey took the lead in the 13th minute when Waddingham’s threaded ball picked out Segecic, who confidently buried his low-driven finish from the edge of the area into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The Cards were forced into a change on 23 minutes when Jaaskelainen had to go off injured and was replaced by returning keeper Craig Ross.

Segecic nearly scored his second of the evening in the 29th minute when Marlon Pack won the ball high up the pitch and played a short pass to Segecic, who hit a low right-foot shot which was well blocked by Ross.

The visitors created another chance on the half hour when Waddingham chested down a long ball to Ogilvie, who fired his effort well over the bar.

Segecic went close again on 32 minutes when his right-foot effort from the edge of the box forced a superb diving save by Ross, who parried the ball away for a corner.

Murphy then tried his luck for Pompey a minute later when he cut in from the left and hit a deflected right-foot shot which was well held by Ross.

The Cards almost got back on level terms before half-time when a nice spell of play saw the ball drop to former Pompey player Aiden O’Brien in the box, but he couldn’t quite control the bouncing ball.

The visitors nearly doubled their advantage in the opening minute of the second half when Lane was played through on goal and went round Ross before hitting a low shot from a tight angle which hit the left-hand post before the Cards cleared the loose ball.

Lane went close again in the 59th minute when Ciaran Martin’s inviting cross from the left picked out the Northern Irishman at the back post, but his header went well wide.

The Cards then nearly equalised on 63 minutes when Luke Hall went close with an effort from the edge of the area which whistled wide of the left-hand post.

Pompey went 2-0 up a minute later when Regan Poole’s superb defence-splitting pass sent Lane through on goal, and he drove forward before confidently firing his right-foot finish past Ross into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The visitors then almost scored a third two minutes later when Zak Swanson cut in from the left and hit a powerful effort which went wide.

Lane had a good chance to score his second of the evening in the 81st minute when he was played through on goal, but his dinked effort was comfortably held by Ross.

Lane went close again two minutes later when he cut in from the right and hit a left-foot shot across goal which went wide of the far left-hand post.

Pompey had another chance to score a third on 84 minutes when Dane Bailey’s right-foot shot was well parried away by Ross, but it ultimately finished 2-0 as the Cards acquitted themselves well against their higher-ranked opponents.

Next up for Woking is a pre-season friendly away to Cray Valley Paper Mills on Saturday, July 19 (3pm kick-off).