ITFC Women’s woeful start to the season continued at the AGL Arena this afternoon, letting a one-goal lead slip to lose 2-1 to visitors GIllingham.
Tractor Girls manager Joe Sheehan made two enforced changes to the side a result of the injuries picked up by Zoe Barratt and Kyra Robertson in last week’s 3-0 opening day loss at home to Portsmouth with Maddie Biggs and Olivia Smith coming in to replace them. With Smith slotting in to the back three, captain Bonnie Horwood moved into centre midfield alongside Eloise King.
Ipswich started the game brightly, forcing a succession of opportunities from the second minute with Sarah Brasero-Carreira, Horwood, Natasha Thomas and Anna Grey (pictured) all getting close to opening the scoring.
On the 17th minute Grey netted the Blues' opening goal of the season, running onto a loose ball towards the Gillingham keeper Cara Davies, taking it around the prone stopper and slotting it into an empty net.
Town continued to dominate possession for the remainder of the half, with goalkeeper Sarah Quantrill not being called into action until the 30th minute.
On 39 minutes Ipswich almost doubled their lead, Eloise King playing Thomas through one-on-one with Davies, but the striker was unable to round the keeper, who was able to get a hand to the ball and gain possession.
Town went into the break a goal to the good, having controlled the game for a large period of the first half but having been very wasteful in front of goal, particularly Thomas’s effort late into the half.
The game restarted with one change for Ipswich, Megan Wearing replacing Olivia Smith to make her competitive debut for the club.
Gillingham started the second half stronger, pressing higher in more numbers and stifling Horwood and King in the middle of the park, with Town seemingly unable to find a way to adapt.
Ipswich came to rue the wasted chances on goal in the first half on the 57th minute when a sustained period of Gillingham pressure resulted in an equaliser, the ball having been threaded through the Town defence to Breon Grant, who calmly swept the ball past Quantrill to level the scores.
Ipswich seemed a different team to the first half, very sloppy in possession and failing to deal with a re-energised opposition.
Sheehan opted to make further changes on 63 minutes, Abbi Smith replacing Biggs to join Wearing in making her competitive debut for the club.
Two minutes later, however, Gillingham won a penalty following a handball in the area. A well taken spot-kick sent Quantrill the wrong way to put the Gills in front.
Town seemed shellshocked by Gillingham’s resurgence, seemingly unable to keep the ball and deal with Gillingham dictating the pace of play.
The Tractor Girls made few forays towards goal after going behind, the most significant moments two Abbie Lafayette free-kicks into the Gillingham box which in both instances came to nothing.
On 80 minutes, Sheehan made a final change with Nia Evans replacing Boswell, but the visitors comfortably saw the game out to condemn Ipswich to their second successive defeat of the season.
Same as the Portsmouth game last week, Town started brightly and played some good football, taking the lead through Grey’s first-half goal but failed to capitalise on their period of dominance and increase their lead before the break.
In the second half, Gillingham countered Ipswich’s threats well and deservedly got in front with Town looking very sloppy in possession and becoming increasingly frustrated as the game went on.
The Blues now travel to Billericay on Wednesday for their first away game of the season with a win now essential to get their season up and running.
Town: Quantrill, Boswell (Evans 80), O Smith (Wearing 45), Lafayette, Hughes, Horwood, King, Grey, Brasero-Carreira, Biggs (A Smith 63), Thomas. Unused Subs: Meollo, Evans