Woking’s under-16 boys ended a spectacular season by being crowned national champions.

They defeated Reading 4-2 in a tense final in front of a rowdy crowd at the national hockey centre in Nottingham.

Coach Adam Wilkins has built a side that is not only blessed with skill, but has the ability to tactically impose themselves on games against some of the best teams in the country.

The game, played in sweltering heat, was evenly pegged for much of the match, but Woking took their chances well and are blessed with the supreme talent of Sid Mathur in goal.

At times when the game looked to ebb away from them, Mathur pulled off a series of instinctive saves to keep Woking ahead.

Woking took the lead after just three minutes when Theo Barker stormed down the right and won a short corner, which was dispatched into the top corner by skipper Myles Haarhoff.

It rocked Reading who were further thrown when Matt Cummings won a short corner on the right flank and Tom Searle, in a near copycat move, finished off from the top of the penalty area.

Reading were too good a side to let the game get away from them though and they clawed their way back with a short corner of their own in the 24th minute.

Minutes after half-time the match was all square when a slick move from Reading found a way past Mathur.

Woking are resilient, and three minutes later, full-back Tom Richardson played a dazzling through ball to Barker who outpaced the defence and left one-on-one with the keeper, kept his cool and flicked it past him.

Frustrations among the Reading players started to ebb into the match. Myan Mallipeddi found himself battered twice as he tried to find space in the midfield, and as the game progressed Reading picked up three green cards which left players in the sin bin.

Reading were not done yet though, and centre-back Ryan Bach was called on to save the ball off the line following another attack.

In desperation as the clock ticked down Reading took off their keeper for an extra outfield player. Exploiting the space, Barker stayed high, and when Haarhoff chucked an overhead pass half the length of the pitch Barker raced on and tucked the ball into the empty net.

Three minutes later the final whistle blew and Woking under-16s had picked up their first national title.

Wilkins said: “It was a tough game, and the boys won through with skill and grit.

“This result is down to the hard work all the boys have put in this year.

“It has been wonderful to see them all develop as players and get the result they deserved.

“Our junior section is in robust health and that bodes well for the rest of the club.”

There was not to be a fairytale ending for Woking’s under-18 girls, who also made it to the national cup final, only to lose in a shoot-out.

The girls fell behind to Trojans in the second half, but equalised from a short corner through Alice Clarke.

That is how the game finished at the end of normal time, and so the match went to shuffles.

Clarke scored hers, but other Woking players were unsuccessful, leaving Trojans as the winners.