United 1
(Dolan 11′)
Hornchurch 2
(Hearn 20′, Balanta 48′)
Gulls slip to first home defeat of 25/26
Torquay United’s unbeaten home start to the 2025/26 campaign ended on Saturday, as league leaders Hornchurch emerged as winners at Plainmoor.
Callum Dolan’s penalty put Torquay in charge early on, only for Henry Hearn to make it 1-1 with a spot-kick of his own moments later. Angelo Balanta’s strike just after the restart turned the scoreline on its head, and although the men in yellow bossed the second half for large periods, they were unable to find a way back into the game.
Following last weekend’s defeat at Dorking, United boss Paul Wotton responded by reverting back to the same eleven that dispensed of Chippenham so confidently in The Gulls’ last home game. Jordan Thomas, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Jordan Young and Matt Jay were all recalled in place of Denzel Akyeampong, Ed Palmer, Dan Hayfield and Cian Dillon, with the latter having returned to his parent club QPR during the past week.
The deadlock was broken on 11minutes.
Dolan’s trickery inside the box has been fully evident in recent weeks, and with his clever footwork proving too much for a bamboozled Urchins defender, the referee wasted little timing in pointing to the the spot.
United’s No.10 duly dusted himself down before firing confidently down the middle of the goal to put his side 1-0 up.
Sadly, the lead lasted only nine minutes until the visitors levelled the score in a similar manner, after ex-Gull Josh Rees went down under a challenge in the opposite penalty area.
Despite James Hamon guessing the right way, Hearn matched Dolan’s efforts to make it 1-1.
Both sides created decent openings in a bid to get their noses in front ahead of the half-time whistle, but with neither team either to capitalise on them, it was all-square at the break.
Three minutes after the restart, United were behind.
There was an element of good fortune surrounding Hornchurch’s second goal after two Gulls defenders lost their footing in the build-up, however, there could be no denying Balanta’s precise finish, as he fired home from 20 yards.
Knowing how important the next goal was, the match switched and swayed from one end of the pitch to the other, with glovesmen Hamon and Nasta both preventing extra work for the Plainmoor scoreboard.
United were by far the better side in the final quarter of proceedings, but despite pinning the visiting side back against their own goal in a one-way finale, Wotton’s men just couldn’t apply the final touch that would have restored well-deserved parity.
With two away trips next on the agenda, this week could be an ideal time for United to rediscover their winning habit on the road.
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Louis Dennis, 8. Jordan Young, 10. Callum Dolan, 18. Matt Worthington (c), 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton (Dylan Morgan, 74′), 26. Jordan Thomas, 27. Matt Jay (Sonny Fish, 70′).
SUBS NOT USED: 2. Denzel Akyeampong, 13. Matt Wonnacott (GK), 20. Hayfield, 29. Edwards.
Yellow Card: Foulston 64′, Young 90+6′
HORNCHURCH: 1. Arthur Nasta, 3. Josh Hare (15. Giles Phillips, 61′) , 5. Harry Gibbs, 7. Josh Rees, 8. Thomas Wraight (c), 9. Henry Hearn (12. Darren McQueen, 75′), 10. Angelo Balanta (23. Henry Sandat, 90+1′), 11. Myles Weston (21. Nathan Bertram-Cooper, 83′), 14. Charlie Pegrum (4. Charlee Adams, 90+6′), 19. Makai Bond-Welch, 22. Frankie Edwards.
SUBS NOT USED: 13. Rhys Byrne, 16. Charlie Ruff.
Yellow Card: Wraight 68′, Rees 80′
Attendance: 3,492 (87 away)
