TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
MATCH DETAILS
Match details: Hornchurch vs Torquay United
Competition: National League South
Venue: Hornchurch Stadium, Upminster
Date: Saturday 31st January 2026
Kick-off: 3pm
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Torquay: 1
Draw: 0
Hornchurch: 2
CURRENT FORM (LAST 6)
Torquay (W3 – D2 – L1):
L 0-1 AFC Totton A
W 3-1 Weston Super Mare H
D 0-0 Bath City A
W 4-1 Hampton and Richmond Borough H
D 1-1 Maidstone United H
W 3-1 Enfield Town A
Hornchurch (W3 – D1 – L2):
D 2-2 Enfield Town H
W 3-2 Dagenham & Redbridge A
L 1-2 Maidstone United H
W 2-0 Eastbourne Borough H
L 1-2 AFC Telford United H (FA Trophy)
W 2-1 Weston Super Mare A
TOP GOAL-SCORERS
Torquay: Louis Dennis/Jordan Young (13 each)
Hornchurch: Angelo Balanta (12)
HORNCHURCH FACT FILE
Year founded: 1881 (reformed in 2005)
Home ground: Hornchurch Stadium, Upminster
Nickname: The Urchins
Last season’s league finish: 9th in National League South
Notable honours:
FA Trophy:
Winners: 2020-21
Isthmian League:
Premier League winners: 2023-24
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 PROFILE – 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.
PLAYER STATS:
Position: Midfielder
DOB: 01/07/90
Height: 1.79m
Previous Club: Boreham Wood
NLS Stats 25/26: Appearances: 26, Goals 12, Assists 3, Yellow/Red Cards 0/0
OLD BOYS
Torquay United: None
Hornchurch: Josh Rees
LAST MEETING
Last meeting: Saturday 1st November 2025, Torquay United 1 Hornchurch 2
Torquay United’s unbeaten home start to the 2025/26 campaign ended in early November, as league leaders Hornchurch emerged as winners at Plainmoor.
The Gulls were awarded a spot kick after 11 minutes when Callum Dolan was upended by Urchins’ defender Josh Hare, which he stepped up to convert.
Two minutes later, United’s leading scorer Jordan Young looked well placed to double the Gulls lead, after latching onto a through ball from Matt Jay, but fired a tame effort straight by Hornchurch keeper Arthur Nasta.
The Urchins were denied an equaliser on 14 minutes when Myles Weston saw a close range strike deflected behind for a corner.
In the 20th minute, referee Scott Simpson pointed to the spot after Jordan Thomas was deemed to have felled Josh Rees, and Hearn stepped up to convert.
Balanta had the ball in the back of the net for the visitors on 22 minutes, but it was ruled out for offside.
The Urchins doubled their lead four minutes into the second half when Balanta found the back of the net with a low strike from distance.
United threatened an equaliser on 54 minutes when Louis Dennis forced a smart save from Nasta.
Hearn looked well placed to score a brace in the 59th minute, but was denied by the reflexes of Hamon.
In the 73rd minute, Dennis saw an effort from the edge of the area tipped over by Nasta before skipper Matt Worthington blasted over three minutes later.
On 89 minutes, sub Dylan Morgan curled an angled effort over for the Gulls, who saw their unbeaten home record come to an end.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Torquay United (4-2-3-1): James Hamon; Jordan Thomas, Jordan Dyer, Sam Dreyer, Jay Foulston; Matt Worthington, Dan Hayfield; Jordan Young, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Dylan Morgan; Cody Cooke
Hornchurch (5-3-2): Arthur Nasta; Sam Ling, Frankie Edwards, Giles Phillips, Harry Gibbs, Josh Hare; Myles Weston, Josh Rees, Tom Wraight; Darren McQueen, Angelo Balanta
COYY – STEVE
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