Woking continued their impressive start under new manager Neal Ardley with a 3-1 win at home to Maidenhead United in the National League.

Goals from Inih Effiong (2) and Harry Beautyman gave the Cards the three points on New Year’s Day in front of a crowd of 1,848 at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.

The hosts were quick out of the traps and took the lead after just four minutes.

Beautyman played a neat through ball to Frank Vincent who drew Maidenhead keeper Craig Ross out of his goal and passed to Effiong, who confidently rolled the ball into the back of the net.

The Magpies responded positively to falling behind and nearly equalised on 11 minutes when Will de Havilland’s close-range header effort the crossbar.

The visitors went close again when a long ball was headed out to Reece Smith on the edge of the box, who hit his first-time effort wide of the left-hand post.

Smith was proving to be a real threat on the left wing and he hit a low effort across goal on 17 minutes which was superbly parried away by Cards keeper Will Jaaskelainen.

Woking nearly doubled their advantage in the 19th minute when Matt Ward’s superb delivery from the right was put over his own bar by Kevin Lokko.

Smith continued to cause the home side problems and he received a short corner on 24 minutes and fired a powerful right-foot shot over the bar.

Smith turned provider three minutes later when he slipped a neat pass through to Tristan Abrahams who hit a left-foot shot across goal which was well held by Jaaskelainen.

Maidenhead continued to push for an equaliser and went close again on 37 minutes when Shawn McCoulsky’s close-range header went over the bar.

The visitors deservedly got back on level terms in the 39th minute when Cian Harries’ clearance fell to Abrahams on the edge of the box and he expertly placed his finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The Magpies nearly went ahead on 43 minutes when Smith drove forward and hit a powerful left-foot shot which was well tipped over the bar by Jaaskelainen.

The visitors went close again from the resulting corner when Tyrese Dyce’s free header went just wide of the near post.

Smith created another opportunity in first-half stoppage time when he cut in from the left and hit a superb right-foot shot which took a deflection off Dale Gorman and clipped the top of the crossbar.

Maidenhead created the first clear-cut chance of the second half when McCoulsky drove forward down the right-hand side and slipped a neat ball through to Abrahams, but Jaaskelainen was out quickly to block Abrahams’ effort.

The Cards grew back into the game and nearly regained the lead in the 62nd minute when Vincent drove forward to the edge of the box and hit his left-foot shot just over the bar.

Woking continued to press and went close again two minutes later when Dion Kelly-Evans delivered a teasing cross from the right and Ward got across his man at the near post and saw his goalbound header well parried away by Ross.

The home side’s pressure told when Beautyman was fouled in the box by last man Miles Welch-Hayes and referee Aaron Farmer pointed to the penalty spot and sent Welch-Hayes off.

Beautyman dusted himself down and expertly fired his 66th-minute penalty past Ross and into the left-hand corner of the net to put the Cards 2-1 up.

The ten-man Magpies nearly got back on level terms two minutes later when Smith’s excellent cross from the right found De Havilland at the far post and his header back across goal clipped the post.

The visitors went close again on 81 minutes when Dyce’s header back across goal was superbly cleared off the line by Jermaine Anderson.

The Cards wrapped up the three points in stoppage time when Effiong confidently stroked home in the 92nd minute to make it 3-1 and make it seven points out of a possible nine under new boss Ardley.

Next up for Woking is a home game against National League North outfit Radcliffe in the fourth round proper of the FA Trophy on Saturday (3pm kick-off).