Ipswich Town Women are in first-round FAWNL Cup action against Hashtag United at Aveley’s Parkside ground on Sunday (KO 2pm).

The game was originally set to be played last Sunday with the Tractor Girls at home, however, the tie moved to this weekend but with the Blues’ usual home venue, Felixstowe & Walton United’s AGL Arena, unavailable and no alternative local stadium found.

Town beat QPR 7-0 away in the determining round of the competition, while the Tags, who are currently unbeaten at the top of FAWNL Division One South East, the league below the Blues, defeated Ashford Town by the same scoreline.

The teams last met on the opening day of the 2020/21 season when Lucy Egan’s volley saw the Blues to a 1-0 victory at home.

Former Blues Amy-Leigh Abrehart and Sasha Adamson are current members of Essex-based Hashtag's squad.

The game should see Lucy O’Brien make her first start of the season having returned as a late sub in the 5-1 home victory over MK Dons a fortnight ago, before picking up three assists and a goal in the academy side’s 7-0 defeat of West Ham, then celebrating her 19th birthday last Saturday.

“It’s probably been the longest injury I’ve had in my short career so far, so it’s great to be back on the pitch,” she said.

“Getting some minutes against MK Dons was great and then to play for the academy, pick up some more minutes and put in a decent performance, I was happy, and to top it off with my birthday was great.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s cup tie, she added: “A break from the league is always nice and we’re ready to go this weekend.

“They’re a good team, I remember playing them a couple of years ago and it was only 1-0, so it’s going to be a tough match, but we’ll prepare as we normally do and it’ll be a good game.

“They’re flying at the moment and I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to test ourselves against a team who could well have been in our league this year had circumstances been slightly different last year.

“I think it could be very exciting, they could easily be in our league standard-wise, so it’s going to be a close game, but it should be really good.”

Photo: ITFC

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