Torquay United edged out in greatest title race on Planet Earth

The National League South has gained international attention over the past six weeks, with six clubs entering the final day of an incredible season with a chance of going up.

Torquay United sat just behind Truro City in pole position, but the epic climax everyone dreamed about looked to be over inside ten minutes.

Instead, the ultimate anti-climax turned into an afternoon befitting this amazing race for automatic promotion, as United, for a few minutes at least, came within a goal of pinching the glory of top spot.

In the end, Truro’s 5-2 defeat of St Albans proved enough for the Cornishmen, as United’s crushing 4-1 win at Hemel Hempstead was two goals short of what was required.

When the clock ticked 3pm on Saturday, April 26, 2025, six teams had a proper chance of going up. By 3.10pm on Saturday, April 26, 2025, it was down to two, and if there had been a cricket-style winviz, Truro were at 98% and Torquay 2%...at best!

The Gulls have known all week that if both sides won, which eliminated the other four contenders, they would need to better Truro’s victory by two goals to leapfrog the side they have beaten three times this season, twice in the league and once in the FA Trophy.

As such, the blistering start from Truro at home to St Albans, who needed something to avoid relegation, was a nightmare scenario for United, and the other hopefuls.

Luke Jephcott, Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Tyler Harvey all found the net in the opening ten minutes for Truro, a score that landed like a dead weight on the 2,000 United fans packed into the stands at mid-table Hemel.

It felt like somebody had popped the Yellow balloon, as a two-goal deficit in the title race had swiftly become five. Matt Jay attempted to start the recovery with a shot saved by the legs of the Hemel custodian Jameson Horlick before a Cody Cooke header was easily saved.

United had a shrug of hope when the ball proved too hot for Horlick, who spilled to provide Jordan Young with an easy opener. A simultaneous goal for St Albans suddenly made things interesting…three goals to make up with an hour to go, still possible for United.

Or maybe not, as Truro took just two minutes to notch another and lead 4-1 through Connor Riley-Lowe. Torquay, meanwhile, had found their attacking mojo and a sweet strike from Cooke doubled the advantage in Hertfordshire.

Jay screwed a shot wide and that was it for the first-half scoring.

Things had gone a tad quiet at Truro but the Gulls, and Cooke in particular, had not given up hope. The United frontman bagged his second just before the hour with an angled shot into the bottom corner.

Back to a two-goal swing required, but Hemel rudely interrupted the fun by getting on the scoresheet four minutes later. Cooke, however, was on a one-man mission, as he completed his hat-trick with another tidy finish on 70 minutes.

The clock was ticking and St Albans briefly awoke from their relegation slumber to pull one back…Truro 4 St Albans 2 and Hemel 1 Torquay 4.

One goal for either St Albans or United in the final ten minutes and the promotion party was heading to Plainmoor.

For a few minutes, the tantalising prospect was alive, but Andrew Neal delivered a fifth for Truro and there were no more twists left in an amazing regular season in the National League South.

Congratulations to Truro City, while Torquay United move on to a home play-off semi-final on Saturday against either Boreham Wood or Dorking Wanderers.