Ipswich Town Women returned to league action at the Goldstar Ground against Plymouth Argyle after last week’s FA Cup exit and recorded a 2-0 victory which secured a double-header victory for the Blues, the men’s team having beaten the Pilgrims 1-0 at Portman Road yesterday.
Town boss Joe Sheehan made five changes to the side that took on West Ham United Women in the quarter-final match with Silvana Flores making her first start and league debut for the club, having appeared as a substitute against the Hammers, with Maria Boswell, Lucy Egan, Eva Hubbard and Eloise King also coming in to the starting line-up.
Summer Hughes dropped to the bench with Anna Grey, Kyra Robertson and Maddie Biggs missing out through injury, the latter picking up a knock during the warm-up and replaced on the bench by Issy Bryant.
Town started the game brightly, creating a chance in the first minute with O’Brien putting her shot over the bar. The Tractor Girls continued to dominate the game as the half went on, creating a number of chances from open play and set pieces with Plymouth rarely getting out of their own half.
The period of pressure finally paid off on 41 minutes, Argyle failing to clear Boswell’s cross in the box, allowing Hubbard to put the ball in the back of the net from the ensuing scramble, albeit assisted by a deflection.
Ipswich almost immediately doubled their lead, Boswell again creating the chance with a drive into the box and another failed clearance falling to O’Brien on the edge of the area, but her shot was tipped around the post by Plymouth keeper Jasmine Read.
Town went into the break deservedly ahead, the only criticism being that it was only by the one goal given the number of opportunities the team had created.
The second half started in the same way the first had ended, with Ipswich doubling their lead on 48 minutes.
Flores, who impressed in her first league start, latched on to the end of a Lafayette through ball before playing the ball wide to Hubbard who then fizzed the ball into the Plymouth area, the clearance landing at the feet of Eloise King who lashed past the keeper and into the back of the net.
Having doubled their lead, the Tractor Girls failed to press their advantage, becoming sloppy in possession and allowing Plymouth back into the game.
On 55 minutes O’Brien lost the ball in her own half, allowing Gabrielle Alphous to break forward and shoot on goal, only to be denied by a fantastic diving save from Sarah Quantrill, who had had very little to do up until that point.
Sheehan made a double substitution on 64 minutes, replacing Hubbard and O’Brien with Sarah Brasero-Carreira and Summer Hughes. Thomas then headed wide from a set piece on 68 minutes, before Sheehan replaced Boswell with Bryant on 73 and Flores with Zoe Barratt on 78, with very little else of note occurring before the game eventually finished 2-0 to the hosts.
Although the Tractor Girls won the game comfortably, having been in control for the first 55 minutes, Joe Sheehan will likely want to see a more consistent performance over 90 minutes when the team welcomes Southampton to the Goldstar next week, in what will surely be a very important game in the race for the title.
The Saints are up to second in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division having won 2-0 at Gillingham albeit on goal difference with Oxford, who are down to third, not having been in action today.
Town: Quantrill, Boswell (Bryant 73), Peake, Egan, Lafayette, Hubbard (Brasero-Carreira 64), Horwood, Flores (Barratt 78), King, O’Brien (Hughes 64), Thomas. Unused: L Jackson. Attendance: 274.