TT PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @steveharris84
MATCH DETAILS
Match details: Torquay United vs Chelmsford City
Competition: National League South
Venue: Plainmoor
Date: Saturday, 28th February 2026
Kick-off: 3pm
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Torquay: 4
Draw: 2
Chelmsford: 2
CURRENT FORM (LAST 6)
Torquay: (2W – 1D – 3L):
W 2-1 Hornchurch A
W 3-2 Dover Athletic A
L 0-1 Chippenham Town A
D 1-1 Maidenhead United H
L 2-4 Eastbourne Borough A
L 1-3 Worthing FC
Chelmsford (3W – 2D – 1L):
W 1-0 Tonbridge Angels H
L 0-5 Slough Town A
W 3-1 Hampton and Richmond Borough A
D 1-1 Maidstone United H
D 2-2 Salisbury FC H
W 1-0 Hemel Hempstead H
TOP GOAL-SCORERS
Torquay: Jordan Young (15)
Chelmsford: Lyle Taylor (15)
CHELMSFORD FACT FILE
Year founded: 1938
Nickname: The Clarets
Last season’s league finish: 2nd in the National League South
Chelmsford notable honours:
Isthmian League Premier Division:
Champions: 2007-08
Southern League:
Champions: 1939-40, 1945-46, 1967-68, 1971-72
MANAGER – ANGELO HARROP
The son of former Gulls youth coach and Chief Executive Geoff Harrop, Angelo Harrop took charge of the Iron in May 2022 and led them to the National League South play-offs in his first season at the helm. In the 2023-24 season, he guided Braintree to promotion to the National League following their play off final victory over Worthing.
A former Colchester United youth team player, Harrop junior had previously managed Stanway Rovers, Brightlingsea Regent and AFC Sudbury, and succeeded Robbie Simpson as Clarets manager in the summer of 2025.
PLAYER PROFILE – LYLE TAYLOR
Lyle Taylor joined the Clarets in August 2025, after a season with Colchester United in League Two, where he was the U’s top scorer. His career started out with Millwall, but he found some prolific goalscoring form with Concord Rangers. That resulted in a move to Bournemouth where he had loan spells in the National League South with Lewes and Woking.
He joined AFC Wimbledon in 2015, where he had his longest spell with one club. During his three-year-stint Taylor netted over 50 times in over 150 games. He also helped the Dons get promoted to League One, scoring the opener in the Playoff final. After that he was promoted to the Championship with Charlton and to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
Since then, he had spells with Birmingham City, Wycombe Wanderers and Cambridge United before playing for Colchester United last season.
PLAYER STATS:
Position: Striker
DOB: 29/03/90
Height: 1.88m
Previous Club: Colchester United
NLS Stats 25/26: Appearances: 23, Goals 13, Assists 2, Yellow/Red Cards 5/0
OLD BOYS
Torquay United: None
Chelmsford: Tom Lapslie
LAST MEETING
Last meeting: Saturday, 29th November 2025 – Chelmsford City 0-2 Torquay United
Torquay United climbed to the top of the National League South table thanks to two sublime second half strikes which secured the Gulls’ fifth successive league win.
Substitute Kieran Wilson crowned his debut after joining on loan from Exeter City with a remarkable second half strike, and when Jordan Young followed that up with another stunning effort moments later, there was to be no way back for the home side.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Torquay United (4-2-3-1): James Hamon; Jordan Thomas, Ed Palmer, Will Tizzard, Jay Foulston; Munashe Sundire, Matt Worthington; Dylan Morgan, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, Kieran Wilson; Louis Dennis
Chelmsford City (3-4-3): Noah Phillips; Ben Tompkins, Joe Grimwood, Adam Crowther; Mandela Egbo, Archie Tamplin, Ricky Holmes, Harry Barbrook; Jason Adigun, Jamie Odegah, Lyle Taylor
COYY – STEVE
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