Ten-man Woking produced a superb defensive display to earn a 1-1 draw at Hartlepool United in the National League on Saturday.

Woking made the trip up to Hartlepool with something of a threadbare squad, with Tunji Akinola, Aiden O’Brien and Ben Wynter joining the list of absentees.

Barely a minute into the game, a Pools corner was well met at the back post by Luke Waterfall, but his header flew just over the bar at the Rink End.

Despite most of the early pressure coming from the hosts, Woking created an opening when Matt Ward and Tariq Hinds linked up well, with the latter teeing up Jermaine Anderson to fire over the bar.

In what was becoming quite a stop-start game, two Hartlepool players and one Woking player in Anderson were booked before the half-hour mark as much of the game took part in the middle third of the pitch.

A golden chance for the hosts came 33 minutes into the half, when good work from Luke Charman saw him square for Kazenga LuaLua, whose effort at goal was skewed high over the crossbar from inside the box.

A crucial moment in the game came just afterwards, when Dan Dodds’ clearance fell nicely for Mani Dieseruvwe bearing down on goal.

Chinwike Okoli brought him down and as the last man was sent off to give the hosts a man advantage.

As part of the reshuffle following Okoli’s dismissal, Anderson made way for Timi Odusina to make his first appearance since November.

Cards keeper Will Jaaskelainen was forced into his first intervention when Dodds sent a cross onto the head of LuaLua, but the header was tame and easily caught.

A big decision went the way of the Cards early in the second half when LuaLua was adjudged to have dived inside the box under the challenge of Frank Vincent.

As Pools upped the ante, Nathan Sheron forced Jaaskelainen into a good save down to his left after the midfielder hit a low drive from just outside the penalty area.

Woking had a shock lead after 54 minutes when Harry Beautyman’s dinked ball towards the back post was slid home by Pools defender David Ferguson.

The left-back seemed to be caught in two minds whether to leave the ball with Vincent probing, and turned it into the bottom corner.

The inevitable Hartlepool response followed, with Pools continuing to dominate the ball and starting to create openings.

Substitute Rayes Cleary stooped a cross towards the back post, where Charman headed just wide of the bottom corner.

Hartlepool did have an equaliser after 67 minutes when Charman nodded a Nicky Featherstone free kick into the bottom corner.

Pools then hit the bar when Dodds found Cleary with a cut back, and the West Brom youngster’s shot clipped the woodwork on its way over.

A rare venture forwards with just five minutes left saw Beautyman catch out Adam Smith in goal, but his shot went agonisingly over the bar from the left-hand side of the box.

Despite the late inevitable onslaught from the hosts, Woking held on for arguably the most impressive result of the Neal Ardley era.

The Cards had their backs against the wall against a side bang in form, but came out with an important point thanks to a colossal defensive effort.

By William Bewsey