Dial slipped to their first home defeat of the season this afternoon after losing 1-0 against Hailsham Town in division one of the Southern Combination Football League.

A solitary goal from Town defender Will Ridgway was enough to give the East Sussex side all three points at Redding Way, as Dial dropped three places to seventh in the table.

It was the first meeting between the two clubs, and the first time in 42 years since The Stringers had visited the borough of Woking after they knocked Fred Callaghan’s Woking (then of the Isthmian Football League Division One) out of The FA Cup (Preliminary Round) during the 1983/84 season.

Dial boss Steve Brown made just two changes to the side that beat Selsey 2-0 in midweek, with Miles Davis making way for Callum Abraham-Barlow and Daniel Wanyonyi being given the nod ahead of Aidan Doran.

And it was Wanyonyi who almost created the first opening when his second-minute cross drifted over goalkeeper Xhemal Bako, and over the head of Charlie Plant racing into the six-yard box.

Three minutes later, Ross Ewen then threaded the ball through to Adam Aziz in the box, but Aziz’s eventual shot through two Town defenders was not enough to trouble Bako.

At the other end, midfielder Samuel Townsend caught the ball on the bounce but his shot drifted wide of George Douglas’ near post in what was a scarce half-chance for the visitors.

Defender-come-attacker Joshua Adjei almost added to his three-goal tally this season when he found himself through, but Bako closed down the angle well, forcing Adjei to lift the ball over former Worthing United shot-stopper and over the bar.

Aziz’s shot-and-on-turn was then charged down midway through the first period, following a neat interchange from Abraham-Barlow and Wanyonyi on the left wing.

The former Westfield (Surrey) and Horley Town talisman caught the eye again just before half-time, but Aziz's rasping shot from an acute angle was tipped over by Bako, with The Stringers the happier of the two sides to go into the break level.

The interval seemed to galvanise the visitors, which led to Callum Standish’s side taking a surprise 49th-minute lead when Will Ridgway squeezed the ball through the legs of Ewen on the goal-line. It was the first time that Dial had conceded a league goal at Redding Way in over 590 minutes of football.

Dial looked odds on to equalise two minutes later when Plant found himself through on goal, but a last-ditch challenge from Town captain Harry Mills thwarted the opportunity as Plant was about to pull the trigger.

Shortly after, a half-volley from Aziz from the edge of the box curled just over the bar with Bako at full-stretch as Dial started to turn the pressure key.

Brown made several changes to the playing personnel in a bid to find a way through, but it was full-back Abraham-Barlow who troubled the visitors the most. And when the defender received the ball in the box and cut outside his marker, it looked as though the equaliser was not far away. However, Abraham-Barlow shot straight at Bako .

A short corner and stoppage-time cross Abraham-Barlow then found its way through to Jimmy Norman, but The Dial captain scuffed his shot on the turn, which bobbled just wide of the upright as The Stringers managed to hold on to secure a 1-0 win and move up to ninth in the table, leaving Dial to ponder how they were left empty-handed.

Speaking after the match, Brown said: "I though we were far the better side throughout the 90 minutes, so it was disappointing to be undone to a set piece [corner].

"On a better playing surface, I think the outcome would have been different. The pitch at Knaphill is very poor at present; it hasn't recovered from the drought over the summer. Still, we should have put the game to bed in the first half, so we need to be better and find ways to win, whatever the surface," he added.

DIAL SQUARE: Douglas, Ewen, Abraham-Barlow, Adeosun (Doran), Hayes, Norman, Plant (D.Taylor), Hinks, Adjei (Frith), Aziz, Wanyonyi (Cenzano). Unused sub: Apeni

MotM: Ross Ewen