The Cardinals’ opening preseason friendly was opened on Saturday by both strikers Destiny Ojo and Sam Folarin.
In the goalless draw at the Camping World Community Stadium, they played for the first forty-five minutes against Horsham before coming off the pitch at halftime.
Woking boss Michael Doyle knows the duo well from his time as assistant in Pompey’s Academy last season and subsequently offered the free agents an opportunity to impress.
Folarin, who made one Blues appearance, previously had trials at Millwall and Ipswich at the end of last term, yet is now looking around the non-league game for a club.
He was among 10 second-year scholars released by Pompey at the campaign’s end, with not a single youngster from that under-18s age group retained.
Although the powerfully-built Folarin did come off the bench for John Mousinho in November 2023 against Leyton Orient in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and was named in three first-team cup squads overall.
However, he suffered short and unsuccessful loans at Poole and the Rocks, which both saw him return to the Blues early.
Ojo, who spent 2023-24 on loan at Poole, Sholing and Lancing, had previously trialled at Colchester, who are managed by his former Fratton Park head coach Danny Cowley.
The attacker was a third-year professional, although never featured in a competitive match for the Blues’ first-team, unlike Folarin.
Instead he impressed while on loan at Southern League Premier South side Poole, scoring six times and registering three assists in 22 outings, of which seven were starts.
However, after the pair’s trials with Football League teams, focus is now on National League Woking, who were 17th in the previous campaign.
When Doyle took over in December 2023, the team was three games into a three-month winning streak and in danger of being forced into the relegation zone.
The Pompey League Two title-winning captain went on to guarantee their safety in his first managerial position, finishing three points ahead, and is currently overtaking the Cardinals this summer.
In front of 581 spectators on Saturday, Ojo and Folarin were two of four trialists in the starting lineup against Horsham.
