BILLERICAY Town's hopes of winning back-to-back promotions suffered a heavy blow as fellow title chasers Woking claimed a 4-0 victory at the AGP Arena.

First half goals from Ben Gerring, Jake Hyde and Jamar Loza put the visitors in the ascendancy and gave Billericay a mountain to climb.

Max Kretzschmar's sumptuous lob rounded off the scoring and allowed the Cards to leapfrog Town in the National League standings and into second place.

Hyde could have given the visitors the lead within 60 seconds of the contest getting underway, but his effort drifted wide of the target.

However, Woking broke the deadlock with just 14 minutes on the clock as Gerring, who started the campaign with Billericay, came back to haunt his former club.

The Cards were full of confidence after going ahead and they doubled their advantage six minutes later as Hyde rounded off a fine counter attack.

A Jake Howells block denied Woking a third goal moments later, but it proved to be only a temporary reprieve as Loza extended the away side's lead to complete a nightmare first half for Dean Brennan's Billericay.

Ross Lafayette and substitute Adam Coombes were thwarted by some impressive defending as Town looked for a way back into the contest, while Lafayette then saw his header saved by Woking goalkeeper Craig Ross.

The Cards put the game out of sight soon after the hour mark as Kretzschmar's audacious lob from 30 yards out beat Billericay custodian Alan Julian.

A Connor Hunte effort was blocked as Woking defenders put their bodies on the line in order to keep a clean sheet.

Billericay could not break down their opponents and were left to suffer a second home defeat of the National League South season.