Sam Ling fired Hornchurch to promotion to the National League for the first time in their history as they beat Torquay United after extra time in a dramatic National League South play-off final.

Ling, the son of former Torquay boss Martin, struck a low volley into the bottom corner in the 117th minute.

Deon Moore had volleyed Torquay into an early lead, but the hosts - who had dominated much of the first period - levelled just before half-time through Dominic Poleon's penalty.

Moore scored again to restore Torquay's lead, but substitute Henry Hearn forced in an equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time.

Ling's goal with three minutes of extra time to go sent the home crowd wild as the Urchins, who finished the regular season in second place, went up to the fifth tier for the first time since they were reformed in 2005.

The Gulls, who finished third in National League South this season, will have to spend a fourth season in the sixth tier.

Hornchurch will join their divisional champions Worthing, as well as National League North winners AFC Fylde and play-off victors Kidderminster Harriers, in the National League next season.

The loss caps a rollercoaster end to the season for the Gulls, who were top of the table in February before a seven-game winless run ended their title hopes and cost manager Paul Wotton his job, with Neil Warnock having a spell as caretaker manager.

Jimmy Ball was appointed in mid-March and led Torquay to six wins and a draw from his first nine games - they beat Dorking Wanderers in the play-off semi-final last week.

But they could not get the better of a Hornchurch side who booked their place in the final with a win over Weston-super-Mare.

Moore volleyed home his seventh goal in five games from the edge of the box with Torquay's first chance, having outmuscled his marker to get on the end of Sam Dreyer's long ball.

Angelo Balanta forced Torquay goalkeeper Seb Stacey into a save six minutes later, while his teammate Josh Rees headed Ling's cross inches wide after 25 minutes as the hosts began to assert themselves.

Hornchurch continued to control the game and Rees volleyed over from 12 yards after controlling a half-cleared corner nine minutes before the break, before his goalkeeper Arthur Nasta had to be alert to palm away a long-range Sonny-Blu Lo-Everton strike soon after.

But the Urchins got a deserved equaliser when Stacey raced off his line and brought down Charlie Pegram, having always looked second best to reach the loose ball, and Poleon sent him the wrong way from the spot.

The second half proved a more cagey affair until Moore's goal. The former Maidstone United striker latched on to Callum Dolan's through ball before a controlled right-footed finish precisely found the bottom left corner.

But just as Torquay's 900 travelling fans were beginning to think they had won the tie, Hearn got on the end of Darren McQueen's pass and forced the ball home from close range off Dan Hayfield.

Hayfield saw a close-range header superbly saved by Nasta three minutes into extra time, before the Torquay defender fired a low effort just wide from the edge of the box as the first additional period came to an end.

As both sides tired, it was former Leyton Orient and Dagenham and Redbridge defender Ling, whose father led Torquay to the League Two play-offs in 2012, who got a dramatic winner when his low first-time shot across goal from Tom Wraight's cross found the bottom corner.

Hornchurch goalscorer Sam Ling told DAZN:

"What a time to get my first goal. But it's not about that, it's about the fans here.

"The boys all season have been brilliant. I think we deserve every inch of that. I'm just over the moon.

"We've scored late goals all season long, so it's always going to drop and it's about being in the right place at the right time.

"Fortunately, that was me today, but the boys deserve it massively - they fought hard all game, all extra time, and got over the line in the end."

Hornchurch manager Daryl McMahon told DAZN:

"I've been here two-and-a-half years now and two promotions in a short period of time. The way the club's moved forward so quickly has been incredible.

"I'm a bit emotional and just very proud of the group, very proud of the players, the staff, the club, our owner who backs us and wants to move to look forward, so I'm absolutely delighted.

"We never planned to go up this quick. We finished ninth last season, which is the highest leap this club ever had in this history, and then this year you look at the league table, the teams, the division, teams that are going full-time, much bigger clubs than us, and you're thinking 'How are we going to finish ninth again?'

"I think we've recruited well in the summer. We've got some very, very good experienced players, but we've also got really young players that have got lots of energy and quality and assets to the football club as well.

"We've done well in terms of bringing that mix together and we've ended up with today, which is incredible. "

Torquay United manager Jimmy Ball told BBC Radio Devon:

"I think we should have passed the ball more. A hot day, we should have made them work harder - should have made them run more, and we didn't.

"Every time we went in the lead, we then kicked it long, so I think we've got to be better. I'm disappointed in the manner in which that happened.

"I think there's a foul for their goal. I think there's two fouls on the edge of our box, and where's the advantage if it's a foul right on the edge of the 18-yard box and the ball goes backwards?

"I'm quite disappointed with the referee, if I'm being honest with you. I don't think we got a lot."