Margate's Lewis Taylor has revealed there was a touch of poignancy about his match-winning hat-trick against Chelmsford City at Hartsdown Park on Saturday.

Taylor scored two early penalties and then added a third from open play in the second half as Gate won 4-1 to record a fourth successive home win in Vanarama National League South.

The former Carshalton man went home proudly clutching the matchball which he said he would enjoy showing off at a pre-arranged family get together that evening.

Taylor explained: "To score a hat-trick is amazing to be honest. I've not scored a lot of hat-tricks in my career I must admit but I have scored a couple and I've always taken the matchball with everyone signing it so it's nice to do that.

"I've got a little family gathering tonight. It's a sort of celebration if you like but it's sort of an anniversary. I lost my mum three years ago so there's all my family, my two brothers and their little ones and all that we all meet up. It's actually today so she was watching down on me for that hat-trick I think."

Both Gate penalties came in the opening 14 minutes, the first after only three minutes but Taylor said he always felt confident of tucking them away.

He added: "There's always pressure. You want to score a penalty, for a start for yourself, and obviously you don't want to let the team down, they've grafted to get the penalty but I just step up and I'm always confident.

"It's one of those things, I've always taken penalties and that's why I do it so if I can keep doing that and put it in the back of the net for the team that's the main object."

Taylor sent visiting keeper Tim Brown the wrong way from his first kick, and for the second, rifled the ball high into the opposite corner.

He said: "I'm one of these, I pick my spot and I go with it and if the keeper saves you have to say well done. Fortunately for me they both went in today.

" I haven't missed a penalty since I've been playing this sort of level. I've scored a few big ones as well which is quite nice but the main thing is just to get the points for the team and move on."

Of his third goal Taylor said: "Nathan Green created the chance, it was one of them you just hit it and hope that it goes in and fortunately for me it did though the goal got smaller as I struck it!"

Boss Nikki Bull was delighted with Taylor's contribution and said the midfielder deserved huge credit for grabbing his chance in the team when it came.

He explained: "I spoke very highly of Lewis last week (after the 3-2 home win over Maidenhead) and I'll do it again.

"When I got the job, first and foremost I had to make us harder to beat and get points on the board early. We had some difficult fixtures and it was about being hard to beat and maybe nicking a win.

"I said to Lewis you're going to have to be patient. You're not in my starting XI to start with but his attitude in training, his character, he hasn't moaned or complained, he's trained even harder and now he has been let off the leash in the last two home games and he's been outstanding, running with and without the ball, his energy, his fitness levels and fully deserved his hat-trick."