Woking’s Elite Development Squad slipped to a 4-2 defeat on the road against Eastleigh in their penultimate away day of the campaign.

“It’s bitterly disappointing,” said academy manager Matt Winter.

“We found ourselves in such a commanding position after 20 minutes.

“We let them back into the game.”

In a dominant opening 20 minutes for the Cards, Joden Trickett almost opened the scoring in the first minute, with a near-post effort forcing Eastleigh’s goalkeeper into early action. The save only pushed the ball out as far as Sonny Parkes, but he struck his effort wide.

On ten minutes, after Woking rooted Eastleigh in their defensive third for much of the opening stages, Kooshan Hayati gave the Cards the lead. He picked up the ball in the box and struck a fine effort home to break the deadlock.

Quincy Patterson doubled Woking’s advantage on 18 minutes, after turning out of pressure in midfield and striking home from the edge of the area. Eastleigh’s keeper made contact with the shot, but Patterson’s effort was too powerful. The Woking midfielder has now scored in four successive games.

Eastleigh’s attacking play was limited during the opening stages, but they did reduce the deficit on 20 minutes when they picked up the ball on the edge of the area and struck an effort back across goal to make it 2-1.

Just four minutes later, the hosts equalised. Woking lost possession in their defensive third, with goalkeeper Mikey Verga doing well to tip the first effort onto the bar, but Eastleigh made no mistake with their follow-up to get back on level terms.

Eastleigh’s first-half turnaround was completed in the 38th minute, after a quick move forward saw the ball squared and then slotted home from the goalmouth, meaning the hosts led at the break.

Woking had their chances to level throughout the second half, with Patterson proving particularly influential. Patterson’s biggest chance arrived in the 68th minute, when he charged forward with only the keeper ahead of him. Eastleigh’s defence, however, were able to recover to throw bodies in front of the captain’s effort.

Jack Lewis was the next to go close for the visitors with his driving run forward in the 75th minute, but the keeper met his effort at the near post.

The Cards put plenty of deliveries into the box but were missing the final product. Woking nearly equalised in the 84th minute when Parkes’ free kick looped towards the back post but was just out of the reach of Malachy Mpoy.

Deep into injury time, a goalmouth scramble saw Mpoy, Jalil Page and Josh Solecki attempt to salvage a point for Woking, but Eastleigh gathered to clear.

Any hopes of a point were then snatched from the visitors, as the hosts scored their fourth in the 98th minute with an effort back across goal which found the far corner to confirm Eastleigh’s win.

Elsewhere in the academy, on Tuesday, April 28, the first years, playing as Westfield, lost 1-0 away from home against Knaphill in the Allied Counties Youth League West Division.

On Wednesday, April 29, the under-18s won 8-1 against Dorking Wanderers at home in the National League Alliance Division F. On Thursday, April 30, the under-18s won 9-0 at home against Abbey Rangers in the Suburban League Premier Division.

By Holly Porter