Dial booked their place in the semi-finals of the Surrey FA Intermediate County Cup after a hard-fought 3-2 win away to Thames United in the quarter-finals on Saturday (3 Feb).

With both sides buoyed by their goal-scoring prowess, it was the hosts that came close to getting their noses in front. Within the opening six minutes, Andy Rider was forced to save at point blank range to deny Charlie Bulmer and then grab the ball in a nine-man goalmouth scramble.

Despite the slow start, a much-depleted Dial line-up seized the initiative when Harry Rice found himself through on goal before coolly picking his spot past Macauley Brown after 21 minutes.

However, Dial's lead lasted just four minutes when David Charalambous riffled a shot across the box and into the far corner to level the scores.

Dial restored their advantage though when Charlie Marshall cut in from the left to lift the ball past the onrushing Brown 10 minutes before the break.

A stunning 25-yard strike from Sam McDermaid four minutes later looked to have given Dial a 3-1 lead, only for play to be pulled back for an earlier offside.

At the other end, Rider tipped the ball over the bar after United looked odds on to double their tally on the cusp of half-time.

Luck was on the hosts’ side eight minutes after the interval when Will Neville intercepted a cross, only for the ball to trickle past Rider for an unfortunate own goal.

The game continued to ebb and flow, but it was Dial that had the lion's share of procession as United's fitness waned and cramp began to set in.

Marshall looked as though he had done enough to reinstate Dial’s lead, but Owen Coleman was on hand to stop the ball just shy of the goal-line with Brown beaten.

United always posed a threat in the final-third, and when David Hitchin breached the Dial backline only he knows how he didn’t hit the target from four yards.

Rice then looked as though he had scored three minutes later, but he scuffed his shot slightly and United were able to scramble the ball away on the goal-line.

However, Dial's leading marksman was compensated in stoppage time when he cut inside his marker, before curling the ball past Brown to cement a gutsy 3-2 win.

Speaking after the match, Dial boss Steve Brown said: “The match had everything; it was a proper cup game. At times, it was a dog fight, but I thought the players worked their backsides off and showed great resilience.”

Dial Square line-up: Rider, L.Rogers, Neville, Vass, Vassell, McDermaid (Brown), Lawrence, Phillips, Rice, Cenzano (Jennings), Marshall.

• Dial must wait to see whether they will be drawn against Frenches Athletic, AFC Walcountians and Dorkinians Reserves in the semi-finals of the competition.