TWO GOALS from Harry Rice - and one apiece from Tommy Adag and Aidan Doran - gave Dial a comfortable 4-0 league win over AFC Royal Holloway at Alwyns Lane today (27 Sept.).

Buoyed by their hard-fought performance against reigning Surrey Premier County Football League champions Wimbledon Casuals in midweek (23 Sept.), Dial welcomed back Doran and Callum Abraham-Barlow into the squad, with Barlow getting the nod over the absent James Vass.

Despite the pre-match optimism, Dial were dealt an early blow when winger Jordan Carter pulled up with a groin strain after just four minutes, signalling the introduction of George Lawrence. Although the setback didn’t hamper the hosts' shape nor tenacity as they pressed The Old Boys for an opener.

While Dial enjoyed the lion’s share of possession within the early exchanges, it was the visitors who came closest to scoring when Gianluca Tartaro’s 35-yard shot hit the crossbar after 12 minutes.

Unperturbed, Dial continued to press. It came as no surprise therefore when Steve Brown's side got their noses in front from a pin-point header from Tommy Adag after an inviting cross from Dan Cenzano midway through the first half.

One soon became two when Rice outmanoeuvred his marker just inside the visitors’ half, before sprinting towards goal and coolly picking his spot passed Alistair Carney in the 35th-minute.

Dial didn’t lose any of their potency after the interval, as proved when Rice side-stepped two markers in the box, before again picking his spot past Carney to notch his eighth-goal of the campaign just 11 minutes into the second half.

And there was no let-up for the Royal Holloway faithful when George Frith squared the ball for substitute Doran to slot home his first of the season in the 83rd-minute to round off a clinical 4-0 win.

It was an impressive display from front to back from Brown's side, and a fitting send-off for Rice who left Dial for Hanwell Town this week after registering 85 goals in 70 league and cup appearances for the Surrey outfit.

Speaking after the match, Brown said: “It was a good all-round performance from the boys, especially after a hard battle in midweek. I thought we looked sharp and took our goals well.

“We probably could have made the scoreine even more comfortable, but I’m certainly not going to complain with the three points and a clean sheet.

“The lads are really starting to gel together, so it’s obviously disappointing to lose Harry [Rice] to a higher league club. That said, he's been a great servant for us and knows that he is welcome back any time,” added Brown.

DIAL SQUARE: Mead, Rose-Davies, Abraham-Barlow (Xavier), Hawker, Marshall, Phillips, Carter (Lawrence), Adag (Doran), Rice, Frith, Cenzano, Unused subs: Brown, Vassell

MotM: George Frith