Hornchurch 1
(Balanta 9′)
United 2
(Young 49′, 68′)
Two goals from Jordan Young saw United produce another comeback on Saturday, as victory over promotion rivals Hornchurch saw them take over the leadership of National League South.
Angelo Balanta’s early strike gave the hosts the lead, before Young’s second-half brace ensured all three points would be coming back to Devon.
Despite winning at Enfield last Saturday, boss Paul Wotton decided to make two changes to his starting line-up, with Munashe Sundire and Young taking the places of Jordan Thomas and Cody Cooke.
United started brightly, but fell behind on 9 minutes.
Balanta, who had been a thorn for The Gulls for whichever club he has represented in the past , picked up possession and tried his luck from outside the box, and was duly rewarded as the ball sailed past James Hamon to give the Urchins the lead.
Wotton’s men rallied and went close through Kieran Wilson and Dylan Morgan in the aftermath of that opener, but as the half wore on, it was the hosts who looked the more dangerous, with the corner-count stacking up in their favour by some margin.
Just three minutes after the change of ends though, the sides were all-square again.
A loose pass provided The Gulls with the chance to capitalise, and with Young alert and calm in equal measure, Torquay’s top scorer darted towards goal before coolly slotting home past home goalkeeper Arthur Nasta.
1-1, but United’s No.8 wasn’t done there.
After Sonny Blu Lo-Everton prodded the ball into his direction midway through the second half, Young produced a trademark cut-inside before sending a delicious shot past Nasta and into the net to make it 2-1.
If the first half had belonged to Hornchurch, then there’s little debate that United took charge in the second period.
Try as they might, the Urchins could not breach a determined Gulls backline thereafter, with goalkeeper Hamon left largely untroubled in the second 45 minutes.
Results elsewhere dictated that the Yellow Army would be making their way back to Devon safe in the knowledge that their team were top of the pile, and although there’s still plenty of football still to be played in 2025/26, it’s not a position Wotton’s men will be giving up lightly.
HORNCHURCH: 1. Arthur Nasta, 3. Josh Hare, 5. Harry Gibbs, 7. Josh Rees, 8. Thomas Wraight (c), 10. Angelo Balanta, 11. Myles Weston (27. Junior Morias, 66′), 14. Charlie Pegrum (9. Henry Hearn, 60′), 19. Sam Ling (6. David Winfield, 85′), 22. Frankie Edwards, 23. Henry Sandat (12. Darren McQueen, 74′).
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Rhys Byrne, 15. Giles Phillips, 21. Nathan Bertram-Cooper.
Yellow Card: Hearn 70′, McQueen 84′
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer (c), 6. Munashe Sundire, 8. Jordan Young (27. Matt Jay, 90+1′), 11. Dylan Morgan (9. Cody Cooke, HT), 18. Matt Worthington (26. Jordan Thomas, 88′), 20. Dan Hayfield, 23. Kieran Wilson (16. Ed Palmer, 90+1′), 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Denzel Akyeampong, 19. Joe Hatch, 21. Adam Seedhouse-Evans (GK).
Attendance: 1,547 (298 away)
