With the match switched to Ascot United’s Racecourse Ground at short notice, the stage was set for Dial to reach their first county cup semi-final since 2022 against their Woking-based opponents.

The minnows, who had already claimed the scalp of two more senior clubs en route to the quarter-finals, were one of only two intermediate clubs from step 8 remaining in the competition.

Conversely, Dial were forced to make do without several first team regulars, leaving boss Steve Brown with no option but to name himself, along with Matt Hayes and Charlie Marshal, neither of whom were match-fit, in a 14-man squad.

Despite netting six goals in each of the three previous rounds of the competition, Dial were happy to sit back and keep possession without really challenging The Reds’ backline in the early stages.

However, they almost gifted Horsell the lead when Finley Rose-Davies appeared to push Matt Brown in the box, but it was not enough to sway Max van de Berg to award a penalty kick with just 15 minutes gone.

At the other end, Jordan Carter became increasingly frustrated after being flagged several times for offside in quick succession, questioning veracity of some of the decisions.

Miscommunication between Michael Chapman and Max Roffey on the half-hour mark almost allowed George Lawrence in to score, but Horsell captain Rory Kelly managed to get back in the nick of time to block the shot.

But it was the Wokingites who took a surprise lead when Sam Edser received the ball unmarked in the box, before striking the ball across George Mead inside the far post five minutes before the interval.

With Horsell continuing to defend in numbers, Dial's best and only real shot on target fell to Dan Cenzano, whose 30-yard piledriver was palmed away by Roffey.

Dial notably approached the second half with more vigour, and were back on level terms when Lawrence latched onto the end of Carter’s low cross to tap home just five minutes after the break.

A superb searching pass from Jimmy Norman to pick out Carter should have paved the way for Dial’s second four minutes later, but the talisman fired over when others were arguably better placed to score.

With the wind in their sail, the second goal was never far away after Carter beat the offside, before cutting into the box and sliding the ball past Roffey to give Dial a 58th-minute lead.

Unapologetic, Dial continued to press when an absolute screamer from Carter flew just wide. Roffey then raced out of his goal to deny Lawrence a second to keep The Reds in the game.

With just eight minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Marshall looked to have given Dial an unassailable 3-1 lead, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside, much to the dismay of Marshall and the Dial bench.

Speaking after the match, Brown said: “It was always going to be tough with so many players unavailable, either due to injury or being ineligible to play.

“I thought the boys responded well after going a goal down against the run of play. In these one-off games, sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win, which we did.”

With Keens Park Rangers beating Hambledon 3-0, Dial must now await the outcome of Addlestone against FC Battersea Ironsides, and Worcester Park versus Frenches Athletic next Saturday (14 February) to see who they will draw in the semi-finals of the county cup.

DIAL SQUARE: Mead, Rose-Davies, Vassell (Marshall), Frith, Corner, Norman, Carter, Adag, Cenzano, Lawrence, Abraham-Barlow. Unused subs: Brown, Hayes.

MotM: George Frith