TT PREVIEW

Steve Harris – @steveharris84

MATCH DETAILS

Match details: Hornchurch FC vs Torquay United – National League South

Venue: Hornchurch Stadium, Upminster

Date: Saturday 26th October 2024

Kick-off: 3pm

HEAD TO HEAD

First ever meeting

RECENT FORM (LAST 6)

Torquay – W2 – D2 – L2

L 0-2 Welling United A

L 0-3 Bishop’s Cleeve (FA Cup)

D 1-1 St Albans City H

W 1-0 Hampton A

D 1-1 Eastbourne A

W 2-1 Worthing H

Hornchurch – W0 – D4 – L2

D 1-1 Leiston A (FA Cup)

L 1-3 Leiston H (FA Cup)

L 1-3 Dorking Wanderers A

D 2-2 Salisbury A

D 0-0 Bath City H

D 1-1 Boreham Wood A

TOP SCORERS

Torquay: Cody Cooke (3)

Hornchurch: Liam Nash (5)

HORNCHURCH FACT FILE

Year founded: 1886

Home ground: Hornchurch Stadium, Upminster

Nickname: The Urchins

Last season’s league finish: 1st in Isthmian League Premier (promoted as
champions)

Notable honours:

FA Trophy:
Winners: 2020-21

Isthmian League:
Premier League winners: 2023-24

THE MANAGER – DARYL MCMAHON

A former Republic of Ireland youth international, Daryl McMahon made a solitary substitute appearance for the Gulls while on loan from West Ham United under Leroy Rosenior in the 2003-04 campaign. Ironically – it came against a Yeovil Town side managed by current United manager Gary Johnson.

A brief spell at Port Vale then followed before he was signed for Leyton Orient by former Gulls’ boss Martin Ling in 2005. In his first season at Brisbane Road, the 2005-06 campaign, he was part of the Orient side that won automatic promotion from League Two.

McMahon later had spells in non-league football with Stevenage, Cambridge United, Farnborough, Boreham Wood (twice) and Ebbsfleet amongst others before entering management with Ebbsfleet in 2015, following a spell as caretaker manager.

In the 2016-17 season, he led Ebbsfleet to promotion from National League South via the play-offs and then guided them to the National League play-offs in the 2017-18 campaign.

After leaving Ebbsfleet by mutual consent in November 2018, he was appointed as manager of Macclesfield Town in August 2019 – in succession to Sol Campbell. He then resigned from the Silkmen before he took charge of Dagenham & Redbridge in January 2020, a role which he held until February 2023.

He took charge of the Urchins in January 2024 and led them to the Isthmian Premier League title at the end of the 2023-24 season.

PLAYER TO WATCH – ANGELO BALANTA

Born in Colombia, Angelo Balanta moved to England at the age of five and joined the youth system of Queens Park Rangers before progressing to their first team – signing his first professional contract with the R’s in 2008, where he made 25 appearances and scored three goals. He later enjoyed loan spells with Wycombe Wanderers, Milton Keynes Dons (three times) and Yeovil Town before signing for Bristol Rovers in 2014.

During his time at the Memorial Stadium, Balanta helped the Pirates helped the Pirates to win promotion back to the Football League at the first attempt and scored in their penalty shoot-out win in the National League play-off final against Grimsby Town. Following their play-off final victory, he opted to join Carlisle United, where he remained for one season before returning to the non-league scene to sign for Boreham Wood. He stayed with the Wood for two years and helped them to reach the National League play-off final in 2018, where they were beaten by Tranmere Rovers.

Balanta joined Dagenham & Redbridge in 2018, where he remained for five years until 2023 when he re-joined Boreham Wood before signing for the Urchins a year later.

BALANTA STATS – Position: Midfield – Date of Birth: 01/07/90 – Height: 1.79m – Previous Clubs: QPR, Wycombe, MK Dons, Yeovil, Bristol Rovers, Carlisle, Boreham Wood, Dagenham – 24/25 NLS Stats: Appearances 10, Goals 0, Yellow/Red Cards 1/0

OLD BOYS

Torquay: None

Hornchurch: Jazzi Barnum-Bobb

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS

Torquay United (3-5-2): James Hamon; Jordan Dyer, Sam Dreyer, Jay Foulston; Finley Craske, Dan Hayfield, Oscar Threlkeld, Will Jenkins Davies, Matt Carson; Brad Ash, Cody Cooke

Hornchurch (4-4-2): Mason Terry; Will Greenidge, Ryan Scott, Harry Gibbs, Giles Phillips; George Saunders, Emmanuel Harvest, Tom Wraight, Sean Scannell; Darren McQueen, Femi Akimwande