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By Bailey Howard
Hornchurch strengthened their position at the National League South summit on Saturday, ending Torquay United’s unbeaten home start to the 2025/26 campaign and extending their own unbeaten league run to seventeen with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Plainmoor.
Despite falling behind early on to Callum Dolan’s penalty, the Urchins showed impressive character to hit back through Henry Hearn’s spot-kick before half-time, with Angelo Balanta’s precise finish shortly after the restart completing a fine comeback for the league leaders.
Manager Daryl McMahon named a side full of confidence and made one change to his side, bringing in experienced Myles Weston for Giles Phillips following last weekend’s win, and his team responded once again with a display full of determination and resilience.
The game got underway, and the first real chance fell to Hornchurch as Henry Hearn latched onto Balanta’s through ball, which James Hamon made a great save.
The hosts decided that things needed to change and struck first on eleven minutes when Callum Dolan’s trickery inside the box drew a foul, and the Torquay forward made no mistake from the spot, firing down the middle to put his side 1-0 up.
Two minutes later, Torquay almost doubled their lead, a great chance for Jordan Young, but Arthur Nasta saved well.
Parity, however, was swiftly restored on the twentieth minute for the Urchins as Josh Rees was brought down in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. Henry Hearn confidently dispatched his penalty past James Hamon to make it level pegging, despite the Torquay keeper guessing correctly, 1-1 Hornchurch.
In the twenty-second minute, Angelo Balanta had the ball in the Torquay net, but it was ruled out for offside.
Hornchurch piled the pressure on in the first half and had multiple chances to take the lead in the game. Firstly, Balanta followed a defensive slip by Torquay, but he chose to pass, and the opportunity was gone. Secondly, Myles Weston went close with a driven effort, which just passed the post, and thirdly, Tom Wraight’s strike was spilled by Hamon, and Henry Hearn followed up, but it was saved again.
Both teams enjoyed promising spells as the half progressed, but neither was able to take the lead before the interval.
Half Time – Torquay 1-1 Hornchurch
The second half got underway, with neither side making a change, and three minutes into the second half, Hornchurch turned the game on its head and took the lead. There was a touch of fortune in the build-up as two Torquay defenders lost their footing, yet there was nothing lucky about Balanta’s strike, a crisp 20-yard effort that flew beyond Hamon’s reach and straight into the bottom corner to send the Hornchurch faithful into raptures, 2-1 Hornchurch.
From there, the match became a pulsating end-to-end affair. Torquay pressed hard for an equaliser, chance after chance, but the Urchins remained organised and resolute, with keeper Arthur Nasta and his defence repelling everything that the hosts could throw at them.
Despite sustained late pressure from the Gulls, with six minutes added on, Hornchurch held firm to claim another impressive three points on the road, a result that makes history, a first win ever at Plainmoor, and further underlines their promotion credentials at the top of the league table.
Lastly, a special mention to all the travelling fans, you make this club something else. To every single one of you who made the trip down to Torquay, thank you. The noise, the passion and the belief, you were incredible from the first whistle to the last, and that win was for you.
Full-Time – Torquay United 1-2 Hornchurch FC
Enterprise National League South
Saturday 1st November 2025 | Plainmoor
Attendance: 3,492 (87 away)
