Woking rounded off their pre-season preparations with the visit of League Two Gillingham.

There were three changes to the side which narrowly defeated Salisbury, with Jermaine Anderson, Jamie Andrews and a trialist replacing Dion Kelly-Evans, Dale Gorman and Lewis Walker.

Their opponents, managed by former Cambridge manager Mark Bonner, sent a strong team to the Laithwaite including the likes of former Crystal Palace and Wales midfielder Jonny Williams as well as their latest signing Jacob Wakeling, on loan from Peterborough.

Woking kicked off towards a vacant LGS, and after a fairly low key start, Jack Nolan fired wayward following good work down the left-hand side. Will Jaaskelainen was then called into action when Timothee Dieng found Wakeling, but his shot was straight down the Finn’s throat.

Good play from Anderson and Dennon Lewis saw the latter’s cross nearly headed home by a trialist with 20 minutes gone as the Cards began to come forward and create. With 35 minutes gone, a low delivery from Andrews was somehow hit wide by Anderson following good work from the trialist striker to win a foul.

Woking continued pushing on the stroke of half-time, with first a shot from Andrews being blocked, before Max Dyche tried his luck from range and had Glenn Morris in the Gills goal worried for a second. A Woking penalty appeal was then waved away after what looked like handball, before Gillingham broke the deadlock.

Max Clark’s cross was well headed home by Wakeling, who directed into the far corner, meaning that despite their best spell of the game, Woking trailed at the break.

Woking started the second half strongly, almost levelling the score when an Andrews corner caused a scramble inside the box. But they had their leveller when a lovely ball into the box was met by the powerful head of Charley Kendall, the end result being an unstoppable finish into the corner.

The Cards started to up the momentum following their breakthrough, and good work from Lewis found a combination of Moss and Kendall at the back post, neither of which could finish past Morris.

A superb save from Jaaskelainen denied Robbie McKenzie’s header from a Nolan corner as the Finn tipped the effort safely over the bar.

A Remeao Hutton cross was almost headed home by Jayden Clarke at the back post with ten minutes left, but he was unable to direct his effort towards the near post.

Woking: Jaaskelainen, Moss (Trialist 58), Odusina, Harries, Dyche, Lewis (Jones 83), Anderson (Beautyman 45), Akinola, Andrews, Kendall (Trialist 58), Trialist.

Goal: Kendall (48).

Gillingham: Morris, Hutton, Ehmer, Masterson (Clarke 64), Clark, McKenzie, Dieng, Nolan (Trialist 77), Williams (Wylie 64), Rowe (Ogie 64), Wakeling (Lapslie 64).

Goal: Wakeling (45+1).

Attendance: 765.

By William Bewsey