A brace from Charlie Marshall gave Dial a well-deserved 2-0 win over Cranleigh today (21 Feb) to maintain the pressure at the top of the Surrey Premier County Football League table.

It was a welcome return to the fore for Marshall who made his first start for The Dial since 10 January after recovering from injury.

Despite switching the fixture to Royal Holloway Sports Centre (neutral venue) due to Always Lane being waterlogged, coupled with the absence of influential midfielders Zac Hawker (ACL injury) and George Frith (unavailable), the hosts got off to a dream start when Jordan Carter crossed low for Marshall tap home from close range after just four minutes.

And Dial should have doubled their lead five minutes later when Finley Rose-Davies’ cross fell invitingly for Tom Adag at the back post, who side-footed wide from three yards when it seemed easier to score.

However, the miss was inconsequential when Marshall managed to turn in his second from five yards as Cranleigh were at sixes and sevens and at risk of the floodgates opening.

Carter then had his shot charged down, before a good interchange between Marshall and Carter, saw the winger fire over after being well-placed in the box.

With Dial in full control, the visitors’ only effort came from Emin Can Acar, whose direct freekick curled over the wall and over the bar too on the half-hour mark.

At the other end, Carter rifled a super shot just over the bar. Marshall was then denied by a fine save from Joe Hurel, after the striker had outmanoeuvred Jack Kelly in the box.

After being under the cosh for so much of the first half, Charlie Woolgar came close to reducing the arrears two minutes after break, but his shot dropped agonisingly wide of the post after George Mead had done well to close the angle.

In response, Carter, who enjoyed so much of the ball, shot straight at Hurel, before Adag’s header looped over the bar from a corner.

Marshall looked odds-on to score his hat-trick when he latched onto a great ball over the Cranes’ backline, but Hurel did enough to force the Dial marksman’s shot into the side netting just 13 minutes after the restart.

The surge towards the visitors’ goal was unrelenting, as Carter opted instead of squaring the ball for Dam Cenzano, while Louie Rogers also decided to shoot when Cenzano was better placed to score three minutes later.

With Dial never looking likely to concede, there was still time for 19-year-old Salvatore Federico to make his mark on the proceedings in stoppage time, but Hurel was on-hand to deny the former Guildford City striker from opening his account.

Speaking after the match, Dial boss Steve Brown said: “I thought the lads produced a thoroughly professional performance and effectively killed the game off in the first half.

“While we weren’t as clinical in front of goal as I would have liked, it was nonetheless an assured performance. The boys kept the ball well and I don’t think anyone would have batted an eyelid if the scoreline was seven or eight nil,” he added.

DIAL SQUARE: Mead, Ewen (Hayes), Vass, Rose-Davies (Cenzano), Rogers, Norman, Carter, Adag, Marshall, Doran, Taylor (Federico). Unused subs: Brown.

MotM: Ross Ewen