Dial moved level on points with fellow promotion-chasers AFC Walcountians after a resounding 4-1 win over Worcester Park tonight (2 May) in the Surrey Premier County Football League.

After an indifferent set of results in April, Dial were back to their best against this season's Surrey FA county cup champions, running riot before half-time.

The win moves Dial level on points with AFC Walcountians, and needing just one-point away to title favourites Wimbledon Casuals next Thursday (8 May) to secure promotion to the Combined Counties Football League.

Despite the absence of influential captain Will Neville (injured), Dial were boosted by the inclusion of Jordan Carter, who passed a late fitness after missed the past four fixtures.

With a point to prove and three points to gain, Dial boss Steve Brown was forced to shuffle the pack, which saw striker Charlie Marshall play as a makeshift centre back. It was meant a first league start for Noel Fortune since 16 October 2024.

Unlike previous weeks, Dial lay siege to Park’s goal from pretty much the get-go. Striker Harry Rice was the first to catch the eye when he broke clear of Tom Resch in the seventh-minute, only to be pushed from behind with, surprisingly, no caution given to the defender in what was a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

A minute later, Rice was again through on goal, but this time was thwarted by the outstretched leg of Park and former Knaphill goalkeeper, Kevin Wheller.

The Dial continued to pin the visitors back and arguably got just-reward for their endeavours when Joe Cheesman was penalised for handball in the box. With the penalty decision never in doubt, up stepped Rice to score his 29th-goal of the season in the 24th-minute.

And Rice missed the chance to make it 2-0 on the half-hour mark when Wheller again closed the angle to keep his side in the game.

However, Wheller was hapless to Dial’s second goal four minutes later when Rice’s shot ricocheted to Adam Aziz, who turned on a six-pence to double the lead from 12 yards.

The hosts’ pressure was unwavering when Carter threaded the ball through to Aziz, who pushed the ball into the box, before unleashing a fierce shot past Wheller to double his tally two minutes later.

In response, Park’s Joe Bendell tried his luck from 25 yards, which went just wide of the post with Richard Ossai, standing in for Andy Rider, at full-stretch. Ossai then had to dive low at the feet of Charlie Woods on the cusp of half-time to keep the visitors at bay.

The dismissal of Joe Goodman for demeaning language in the 59th-minute only added to the visitors’ woes. And 10-men Park bore the brunt of Goodman’s departure when Aidan Phillips was able to dribble the ball out of his own half, before curling the ball over Wheller in the 65-minute to make it 4-0. It was a superb strike from Phillips’; a real goal-of-the-season contender.

However, the visitors did manage to pull a goal back from Sam Robinson eight minutes later to reduce the deficit. Although it did little to dampen the mood, as Dial continued to press, with Sam McDermaid and Dan Cenzano both coming close to adding a fifth in the closing stages.

Speaking after the match, Brown said: “While we probably could have been five or six goals up in the first half; take nothing away from the lads, it was a great all-round performance. We now need to replicate that level of performance in our last game against Wimbledon Casuals. No ifs nor buts.”

DIAL SQUARE: Ossai,Rogers, Vassell (Vass), Phillips, Bunyan, Marshall, Aziz, Fortune (Cenzano), Rice (Dembele), Lawrence, Carter (McDermaid). Unused sub: Brown

MotM: Aidan Phillips