ITFC Women’s pre-season continued with another 2-0 win, this time at the newly renamed AGL Arena in Felixstowe against a resolute Cambridge United side.
As would be expected during pre-season, manager Joe Sheehan made a few changes to the starting line-up from the Tractor Girls’ 2-0 victory against AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane last weekend with Megan Wearing and Maddie Biggs coming in for Maria Boswell and Zoe Barratt, the latter not in the matchday squad.
Defender Olivia Smith was originally named in the starting XI before being replaced by Wearing just before kick-off having picked up a knock in the warm-up.
Town started the game brightly and after only four minutes forward Natasha Thomas (pictured) broke into the Cambridge area only to shoot straight at the keeper.
The Blues maintained their pressure on the Cambridge defence and on 10 minutes Maddie Biggs received the ball in a dangerous area and was able to turn and strike the ball well, forcing the away goalkeeper to parry the shot away.
Town continued to control the game with Hughes a constant threat down the right-hand side, but were unable to break the deadlock with both Thomas and Bonnie Horwood denied goals by some fine goalkeeping and Cambridge defending in numbers.
On 24 minutes Lucy O’Brien’s excellent free-kick from just outside the box seemed destined to nestle in the top-left corner of the goal, only for the Cambridge keeper to tip it over the bar.
Ten minutes later, Ipswich finally converted their control of the game into a lead after Hughes crossed and pick outed Thomas in the box, and the club’s all-time top goalscorer rifled home from close range. It was nothing more than the Tractor Girls deserved, having had several chances to take the lead in the half.
As half-time approached, it appeared Town were about to double their lead through O’Brien, who saw her goal-bound shot cleared off the line shortly before the referee brought the first half to an end.
Ipswich had dominated the first 45 minutes and should have been more than a goal to the good, however Cambridge’s dogged defending, excellent goalkeeping and a lack of clinical finishing had restricted the home side to a solitary goal.
The teams returned to the field for the second half with Sheehan having replaced Horwood, Lafayette, O’Brien, Thomas and Wearing with Sarah Brasero-Carreira, Nia Evans, Abbi Smith, Olivia Smith and Sara Smith-Walter.
Ipswich continued where they had left off at the break and dictated the game, but without creating any clear-cut chances until Brasero-Carreira’s header was saved by the keeper at close range on 57 minutes.
Sheehan made further changes on the hour mark with Maria Boswell and Lauren Hailes replacing Hughes and Robertson. On 67 Horwood, Lafayette and Thomas returned to the pitch in place of Biggs, Grey and King.
Town continued to threaten down the right with Boswell taking over from Hughes in putting in dangerous crosses to create goalscoring opportunities. Thomas also continued to be a threat from the edge of the box, seeing two efforts tipped away by the Cambridge keeper.
In the 77th minute O’Brien rejoined the game in the place of Olivia Smith and Town continued to push to extend their advantage.
And two minutes later they doubled their lead two minutes when a defensive mix-up allowed the Blues to win the ball high up the pitch and work the ball into the Cambridge area, where Brasero-Carreira was able to sweep the ball past the keeper to make it 2-0 to the Tractor Girls.
Town were then able to see out the game from that point on with Horwood shooting narrowly wide from distance shortly before the final whistle.
This game was another comfortable victory for Town, but a lack of clinical finishing meant that the scoreline was lower than it could have been and the team will need to take more of their chances next week when Championship outfit Charlton Athletic visit the AGL Arena for the third game of pre-season.
Starting XI: Quantrill, Hughes, Wearing, Horwood, Lafayette, Grey, Robertson, King, O’Brien, Thomas, Biggs. Used Subs: Brasero-Carreira, Evans, A Smith, O Smith, Smith-Walter, Boswell, Hailes.