Lyle Taylor Aims to Make History with Chelmsford City in FA Cup
Lyle Taylor hopes to add his name to the list of players who have scored an FA Cup hat-trick while helping Chelmsford City make history in the competition.
The Essex club has only reached the third round of the FA Cup twice, in the 1938-39 and 1972-73 seasons, the latter resulting in a defeat to Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town.
With a home advantage in Saturday's second-round tie against Weston-super-Mare, also from the National League South, Chelmsford has a strong chance to advance.
Victors will face the possibility of drawing Premier League opponents in the next round, should all go according to plan.
Taylor has already scored eight goals in the four ties the Clarets have won so far, and a few more could enhance his chances of winning the Golden Ball trophy awarded to the competition's leading scorer.
"I've just found a way of scoring when the team needs me to, which is a good habit to have and something I'd like to maintain for the rest of the season," the 35-year-old told BBC Look East.
He is currently tied for the lead in goals with Longridge Town's Liam Atkinson, who scored four in a single game against Pilkington but is already out of the competition.
"I'm enjoying it personally; it's always nice to score goals. As a team, we're enjoying it too. The FA Cup allows us to cut loose a bit compared to the league," Taylor added.
However, things could have turned out differently for Taylor. Last season, he was Colchester United's top scorer with 13 goals, but a calf injury cut his season short. Despite hopes of a new contract, he moved down two levels to join Chelmsford, a decision made easier by the club's transition to full professionalism this season.
"This is the most FA Cup games I've played in a single season. When you're in the Football League, the FA Cup often feels like a secondary competition," Taylor said. "But this year, it feels different, possibly due to the financial incentives in league football where promotion is so lucrative. I'm thoroughly enjoying the FA Cup this season, especially during the qualifying rounds. It's been great fun."
Chelmsford previously drew 0-0 with Weston-super-Mare in August, but their current form does not favor them against opponents who are second in the table, as the Clarets have lost their last three matches.
Taylor noted, "The manager has made it clear since our first FA Cup game against Hertford [a 6-0 win] that the FA Cup is for us, not for the fans, staff, or chairman. It’s for us to build something special." He emphasized the importance of maintaining that feeling of achievement.
"Even for League One and Two teams, progressing through the first two rounds isn't easy. We have a chance to make our own piece of history, and that motivates us tremendously," he added.
In the 2012-13 season, Taylor scored twice for Falkirk in a 4-1 victory over Forfar Athletic in the Scottish Cup. He returned to England and netted his first FA Cup goal for Scunthorpe United in a 2-2 draw with Chesterfield nearly two years later. A subsequent stint in Scotland saw him score for Partick before he netted five goals in nine FA Cup appearances for AFC Wimbledon between 2015 and 2018, including two in a 3-1 win over Charlton.
His standout performance led to a move to The Valley, where he achieved a hat-trick in a memorable 5-0 victory over Mansfield Town, with one goal described as a "sublime chip." He later moved to Nottingham Forest, where he scored his most recent cup goal prior to joining Chelmsford, securing a 1-0 victory over Cardiff City in January 2021.
Taylor's childhood hero was Arsenal's Thierry Henry, and he credits his success to emulating the French forward's technique. "I grew up watching Thierry place the ball into the net, so I prefer to pass it in rather than shoot with power. Goalkeepers can only cover so much of the goal, so I aim to place the ball in the net, which is my favored approach to scoring," he explained.
Chelmsford attracted a record crowd of 3,502 spectators to their Melbourne Stadium for their 4-1 first-round win over Braintree Town, and owner Spencer Gore hopes to surpass that on Saturday. "Winning in the last round brought a nice financial boost, which we are reinvesting into the club. We are improving facilities and trying to enhance the overall fan experience," he said.
"We sold out our home ticket allocation in just nine minutes, and we are taking additional steps to try and break that record again," Gore added. Like Taylor, Chelmsford manager Angelo Harrop also has ties to Colchester United, having played for their youth team. "As a Liverpool fan, I look forward to the possibility of facing one of the big teams. It could be an amazing opportunity for our club," Harrop said. "Even though our recent form has not been ideal, we remain competitive and are in high spirits, ready to give it our all."