A pulsating 2-2 draw unfolded at the Silverlake Stadium, with Eastleigh and Woking trading blows in a match brimming with attacking verve and fluctuating fortunes. The hosts drew first blood in the 18th minute. Lloyd Humphries’ perfectly weighted pass found Tyrese Shade, who coolly slotted the ball home to give Eastleigh the advantage. For a spell, Eastleigh looked comfortable, dictating possession and fashioning several promising opportunities. However, Woking gradually gained a foothold in the game, their persistence rewarded in the 39th minute. A flowing passing move culminated in Ben Wynter’s pinpoint cross, which Lewis Walker met with a clinical finish to restore parity just before the break.
The second half began with a renewed sense of urgency. Buoyed by their late first-half equaliser, Woking took the lead in the 57th minute. This time, Wynter turned goalscorer, latching onto a deft through-ball from Dale Gorman before firing past the Eastleigh goalkeeper. Now trailing, Eastleigh committed men forward in search of an equaliser, leaving themselves exposed to the counter-attack. Despite these opportunities, Woking were unable to capitalise. With time ebbing away, Eastleigh’s relentless pressure finally paid dividends in the 80th minute. Substitute Wesley McDonald, introduced in place of Humphries, injected fresh impetus into the Eastleigh attack. It was Jake Vokins, however, who provided the crucial assist, picking out Chris Maguire in the box, who calmly slotted home to level the scores. The final ten minutes were a frenetic end-to-end affair, but neither side could find the decisive goal.
The introduction of McDonald proved a key tactical switch for Eastleigh, reinvigorating their attacking threat. Woking’s subsequent substitutions were more defensively minded, aiming to consolidate their position and secure the draw. The result leaves Eastleigh 7th in the National League table on 20 points, while Woking occupy 12th place with 15 points. The two sides boast a balanced head-to-head record in recent seasons, with two wins each from their last four meetings.