New Woking manager Jermain Defoe praised his side’s mentality after they came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 at home to Eastleigh in his first game in charge.

The Cards took an early lead through Harry Beautyman’s goal, but fell 3-1 behind before late goals from Olly Sanderson and Kian Pennant earned Defoe’s side a point.

“We scored a really good goal to take the lead but then we dropped off a little bit, which is normal when it's such a quick turnaround,” said Defoe.

“The boys have played a lot of games and that's why at any level the second goal is so important.

“Eastleigh got a bit of momentum and managed to get back into the game and scored three goals, but the boys showed grit.

“There's been a lot of noise around the club. It's probably difficult for the players to deal with but to come back into the game like they did and towards the end of the game look like we were the better team and could have won, I admire that mentality.

“Kian Pennant reminds me of Raheem Sterling with the way he moves. It was an unbelievable finish for the equaliser. There was a little bit of fortune with the ricochet, but you've got to stay calm.

“I said to the players I could see the difference once they believed, stayed calm and played. There are so many positives to take out of the game. Going forward, if we can show that composure and belief when we play we will create more chances. There's a lot of quality in this team.

“I'm even more excited about this challenge. There is stuff we need to improve, but the reaction from the players and the belief they showed towards the end was really good.”