SPITFIRES CHARGED UP BY SMITH’S LATE STRIKE

DAN SMITH’S winner in the sixth minute of time added on compounded a miserable week for Woking and helped Eastleigh to just a second win from their last 12 games.

Smith settled a scrappy, tempestuous affair with almost the last kick of the game, tapping home the winner after Sam Smart’s effort had rebounded off the post.

Danny Whitehall gave the Spitfires the lead on 65 minutes, but Woking restored parity through Jack Roles just three minutes later.

“It wasn’t a game seen out by both sides,” said Eastleigh boss Lee Bradbury.

“Both teams wanted to win. I thought we were hard working out there and hard to beat.”

A minute’s applause preceded kick-off for former Woking player and club legend Trevor Baron who passed away this week.

And it seemed to inspire Woking to a bright start with Max Kretzschmar’s cross tipped over by Ross Flitney, while Jermaine Anderson slipped at the vital moment when about to pull the trigger.

Eastleigh’s best chance of the half fell to Ronan Silva, who found himself unmarked in the box but somehow put his header well wide of the mark.

Cards, looking to put a heavy home defeat to King’s Lynn on Monday behind them, twice went close just before the break. First, defender Moussa Diarra saw his right footed volley hit the post, and then, deep into stoppage time, Inih Effiong held the ball up for Anderson but his shot was cleared off the line.

Effiong threatened again at the start of the second half with a shot which was parried away by Flitney.

And Eastleigh made them pay for that miss on 65 minute when a ball was played over the top for leading scorer Whitehall to chip Craig Ross for his tenth goal of the season.

The lead, however, was shortlived as, just three minutes later, Roles picked the ball up 25 yards out and hit a dipping shot into the top right hand corner, wrong-footing Flitney.

The match threatened to boil over after a scuffle which resulted in referee Paul Johnson showing the yellow card to four Eastleigh players.

With a lengthy stoppage due to the scuffle, eight added minutes was shown on the board during which time Woking were reduced to ten men when Jamar Loza was shown a red card for kicking out on Brennan Camp.

And Woking were duly punished in the dying seconds with Eastleigh’s final attack, Smart’s shot coming back off the post and falling kindly into the path of Smith, who had the easiest of tap-ins to steal the points.

Woking boss Darren Sarll said: “This team is devoid of a winning mentality, character and resilience, all of the basic things you need to do to win games.”

STAR MAN: Danny Whitehall (Eastleigh) ATT: 2,492 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Paul Johnson