Jermain Defoe's Woking have arrived! Ex-Tottenham coach watches on as iconic striker's managerial debut ends with dramatic late comeback

High drama for Defoe's debut

Defoe’s life as a manager could barely have been more chaotic. After being

The Cards initially looked set for a dream start when Harry Beautyman rose brilliantly to head home Aaron Drewe’s cross after 16 minutes. Defoe celebrated the first goal of his tenure wildly but the atmosphere soon turned as the visitors took advantage of a series of defensive calamities to turn the game on its head.

Comedy of errors haunts Woking

Eastleigh, who arrived on the back of four consecutive defeats, were gifted a way back into the match just before half-time. A catastrophic communication breakdown between Tunji Akinola and goalkeeper Will Jaaskelainen - son of former Bolton icon Jussi - resulted in a bizarre own goal. Akinola’s attempt to head the ball back to his keeper instead sailed into the net to level the scores.

The situation worsened for the new boss early in the second half when Jake Vokins rounded Jaaskelainen to put Eastleigh ahead. The visitors then appeared to have sealed the points 20 minutes from time when Temi Eweka diverted a volley into the net to make it 3-1. The away supporters even began taunting the Premier League legend with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" as Woking's defence crumbled.

A Pennant-inspired fightback

Defoe turned to his bench in a desperate bid to find a spark, and it was the nephew of former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant who emerged as the hero. Kian Pennant first helped Woking regain a foothold when his parried shot allowed Olly Sanderson to head home a rebound. The momentum shifted instantly as the home side poured forward in search of an equaliser

Five minutes from full-time, Pennant completed the comeback by scoring on the revound after his initial effort had been blocked. It was a moment of pure relief for Defoe, who watched his side transition from the brink of an embarrassing defeat to a hard-earned point in a matter of minutes.

Building for the future at Woking

While the draw leaves Woking effectively out of the promotion race, sitting 11 points off the play-off spots with five games remaining, the spirit shown in the comeback provided a glimpse of the preferred playing philosophy club officials hope Defoe will instill. The former striker has expressed his belief that Woking is a historic club with huge potential.

Defoe will now look to stabilise the squad alongside assistant Paul Bracewell as they navigate the final weeks of the National League season.