Woking crashed to an emphatic 3-0 defeat at York City in the National League on Saturday as their unbeaten run under new manager Neal Ardley came to an end.

Woking’s unbeaten run under Ardley spanned nine games until their trip to the LNER Stadium to face a York side chasing the title, and it would prove to be a step too far.

Ardley was forced into making some changes to his squad, with Adam Chicksen ill and Dale Gorman suspended.

This meant a first league start for Jacob Jones since August, with Frank Vincent taking Gorman’s place, while Junior Morias was on the bench after joining on loan from Notts County.

The home side, without star striker Ollie Pearce because of suspension, gave 21-year-old Josh Stones a start.

With the chance to impress, the man who joined from Wigan Athletic for a rather hefty undisclosed fee really made his mark, starting from the fourth minute.

A York corner was met by Tyrese Sinclair, whose header back across the box was thumped home by Stones on the volley to open the scoring.

Woking’s first big chance came after ten minutes when a ball from Jamie Andrews was headed by Aiden O’Brien into the path of Inih Effiong, but his shot on the half volley flew over the bar after he managed to get inside the box unmarked.

There was a opening for O’Brien minutes later when Jokubas Mazionis headed down inside the box and the Irishman blazed over, with York seemingly finding themselves in a proper battle of a contest.

Stones was seeing plenty of the action, his shot with half-time nearing just flew wide of the near post, before Matt Ward headed Vincent’s cross straight at Harrison Male.

York were a goal to the good at the break despite some positive signs from the Cards, who would need to take their chances with Stones looking dangerous.

With the scoreline still at 1-0, Ardley shuffled his pack and brought Lewis Walker and Morias on for Effiong and Vincent, but their impact would be nullified when Stones brought the ball forwards, racing into the box and firing into the near post on his left foot to give his side breathing space.

Then came his best goal of the three as ten minutes from time, former Woking man Joe Felix delivered a perfect cross onto the head of the talisman, and he powered home into the bottom corner to secure a deserved match ball and secure three big points for his side.

York then started to play with the swagger expected from a side right up there, capitalising on tiring Woking bodies and nearly adding a fourth on a couple of occasions.

In the end, an excellent performance from the hosts, who played some nice football and in Stones have a striker who knows where the net is.

Woking will host Tamworth in the National League on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

Woking: Jaaskelainen, Hinds, Jones, Mazionis, Vincent (Morias 65), Odusina, Ward, Effiong (Walker 65), Beautyman (Akinola 89), O’Brien, Andrews.

Substitutes not used: Webber, Okoli.

Bookings: Beautyman (47), Jones (52).

York City: Male, Howe, Sinclair, Hunt, Nathaniel-George (Luamba 69), Armstrong (Aguiar 69), Batty, John, Felix, Stones (John-Lewis 82), Fagan-Walcott.

Substitutes not used: Watson, Fallowfield, Richardson, King.

Attendance: 5,484 (144 Woking fans).

By William Bewsey