Woking got their season up and running with a 1-1 draw at home to York City in the National League.

Aaron Drewe’s 21st-minute goal gave the Cards the lead, but Alex Newby’s 52nd-minute equaliser meant honours finished even in front of a crowd of 3,198 at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

The visitors created the first clearcut chance of the afternoon in the 11th minute when Josh Stones drove forward and slipped a pass through to Newby, whose low shot was pushed away by Cards keeper Tom Norcott.

The Minstermen went close again three minutes later when they won a free kick in a promising position, but Ollie Banks’ effort went wide of the far post.

The Cards took the lead in the 21st minute when Drewe burst through down the right-hand side and clinically dispatched his right-foot shot past York keeper Harrison Male at his near post.

The visitors nearly got back on level terms two minutes later when Newby’s cross found Stones at the back post, but Stones’ header went over the bar.

Woking almost doubled their advantage on 25 minutes when Jack Turner’s excellent cross from the right found Harry Beautyman, whose flicked header went just wide of the far left-hand post.

Joe Grey found himself in a promising position for the visitors in the 33rd minute, but Timmy Akinola made an excellent challenge to preserve Woking’s lead.

The Cards produced a free-flowing move eight minutes later when Jamie Andrews slipped in Caleb Richards on the left-hand side and Richards’ cutback found Beautyman in the box, whose left-foot shot was well blocked.

Woking went close again a minute later when Drewe got the ball on the right-hand side and laid the ball back to Sam Ashford, whose left-foot shot fizzed wide of the far left-hand post.

The Minstermen nearly equalised in first-half stoppage-time when Banks got the ball on the left-hand side of the box and cut inside on to his right foot before hitting a low curling shot towards the far corner which was well parried away from danger by Norcott.

York started the second half brightly and got back on level terms on 52 minutes when Newby’s cross from the right-hand side somewhat fortunately found the far top left-hand corner of Norcott’s net.

The visitors nearly took the lead on the hour mark when Tyrese Sinclair burst clear down the left-hand side and pulled the ball back to Joe Felix just outside the box, whose powerful shot was blocked by Akinola and deflected over the bar for a corner.

Cards boss Neal Ardley made his first change of the afternoon two minutes later, with Chin Okoli replacing Timi Odusina.

Ardley made his second substitution in the 69th minute, with Aiden O’Brien replacing Ashford.

O’Brien almost made an immediate impact two minutes later when he burst through and hit a powerful right-foot shot which was well parried away by Male.

Ardley made his third change of the afternoon on 77 minutes, with Josh Osude replacing Beautyman.

Osude nearly put the Cards back in front four minutes later when his right-foot shot went just over the bar.

The Minsterman broke straight up the pitch and Ollie Pearce got on the end of a ball over the top and held it up before laying the ball back to Sinclair, who sliced his right-foot shot wide of the right-hand post.

Both sides had chances to claim a winner in the closing stages, but honours ultimately finished even at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

Next up for the Cards is a trip to Morecambe in the National League on Saturday, August 30 (3pm kick-off).