Jack Taylor is aiming for a solid run in the FA Cup for Ipswich Town, who began their season with a 3-1 win over AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane.
An early own-goal from Josh Davison was shortly cancelled out by a penalty from Jake Reeves, but the Blues advanced with to goals from Axel Tuanzebe and Taylor, reaching the fourth round for the second year in a row.
“There is magic in the FA Cup,” stated the midfielder after the game.
“You need to come out and be strong, resilient and take it as seriously as a league game.”We got off to a great start. We pinned them back for a while and scored from a set piece, which worked out well.
“Obviously, I gave away the penalty, which I thought was harsh, but we reacted correctly by scoring before halftime.”
“I’m glad we’re through.”
Apart from the financial benefits of progressing in the cup and the opportunity to face a large Premier League club, it allows Kieran McKenna to rotate his squad and give players on the outskirts a chance to prove their value.
Taylor understands how important it is for Town to keep winning games in the Championship, giving him a platform to stay fresh and force his way into the manager’s thinking for other games further down the line, as a player who hasn’t been able to nail down a place in the first-choice lineup for Championship fixtures.
“The whole squad need minutes and you don’t want to have free weeks all the time,” he said.
“You want to stack the games and ensure that everyone is prepared for the run-in.”
“It’s good to have cup runs because, at this stage, we’re at the fourth round now and we could get a big boy away, which we’ll hopefully get.”
It doesn’t hurt his cause that he now has five goals in all competitions, with two in the league, two in the Carabao Cup, and one in the FA Cup.
His goal against Wimbledon wasn’t one of his signature screamers, but it was crucial in ending the game in South London and sealing Ipswich’s place in Monday’s draw.
“When they went down to 10, I had more of a license to get forward and arrive into the box,” he said.
“I’m glad it fell at my feet.”
There’s a simple answer to who he wants in the next round.
“[Manchester] United is away,” he joked. “That’s if they beat Wigan, especially with the way they’re playing at the minute!”
