Charlton Athletic 5-0 Mansfield Town: Lyle Taylor hat-trick guides Addicks into FA Cup 2nd Round

Charlton eased into the second round of the FA Cup with an emphatic first round replay victory over Mansfield Town.

Addicks boss Lee Bowyer named a strong side and it was a hat-trick from top-scorer Lyle Taylor, along with goals from Mark Marshall and Nicky Ajose, that paved Charlton’s way into round two. They will face fellow League One club Doncaster Rovers at The Valley after Donny’s 7-0 win over non-league Chorley in their first round replay this evening.

Bowyer was also able to hand Patrick Bauer a return to action after two months out with a knee injury – the defender featuring for just over an hour.

David Flitcroft’s League Two outfit were nearly gifted an early lead. Billy Clarke surrendered possession to Danny Rose inside the Addicks half – but was given a let-off after a smart Dillon Phillips save denied the Mansfield man.

The hosts started to settle into the game and soon raced into the lead on eleven minutes. Tariqe Fosu had already fired at goalkeeper Robert Olejnik after wriggling into the area down the Mansfield right and it was from that side that the goal came.

Nicky Ajose ghosted into the area before squaring for Taylor. The striker had only landed back in the country 48 hours earlier after international duty with Monserrat, and he slid home at the near-stick to give the Addicks the advantage.

CJ Hamilton, who gave the Stags a 1-0 lead in the original tie at Field Mill, seemed to be primed to score an equaliser as he bore down on Dillon Phillips’ goal, but he was denied by a superb last-ditch sliding challenge by Patrick Bauer on the German’s return to action.

The minnows then came even closer to a leveller soon after as a low-ball across the face of goal was touched onto the upright by Hamilton as he slid across the sodden turf at the far-stick.

It was far from one-way traffic but the Addicks doubled their lead shortly after the break.

Ajose again collected the ball on the Charlton left and his pull-back was met by Taylor near the penalty spot, who side-footed home to grab his second of the game and his seventh FA Cup goal in the last three seasons.

Former Manchester United trainee Ajose nearly found himself on the scoresheet but his half-volley curled just wide of Olejnik’s far-post – but the Addicks did have a third inside the final ten minutes.

The referee had caused some confusion by originally giving Mansfield a free-kick inside the Charlton half before changing his mind and pointing in the opposite direction. The Addicks took it quickly and worked it for Toby Stevenson to square for substitute Marshall to bury his first Addicks goal in ten months.

Three become four moments later as Taylor sealed his hat-trick in spectacular style. The former AFC Wimbledon man lifted the deftest of chips over Olejnik from just inside the area.

And the scoring wasn’t done there. Ajose beat the onrushing Stags stopper to a long ball over the top before smashing into the empty net to put the cherry atop a professional Addicks performance.