Ipswich Town Women made it two wins in two games, earning their first three points at home this season via a 1-0 victory against Bridgwater United.
Tractor Girls manager Joe Sheehan made one change to the team that had beaten Billericay, with Megan Wearing (pictured) coming in for Olivia Smith, who dropped out of the squad for the match.
The game started brightly with the visitors winning a corner in the first minute, taking it short and working it into the box with a low cross flashing in front of the Town goal and out for a goal-kick.
Town immediately went down the other end of the pitch but Anna Grey’s shot kept rising and went over the bar.
On six minutes, the Blues took the lead. Grey made a great run down the left and played in a great cross, which then pinged off a Bridgwater player and into the back of the net.
The remainder of the half saw no real chances of note with the game becoming a scrappy affair with neither team effectively retaining possession of the ball.
On 36 minutes Maddie Biggs went into the referee’s book for a shirt pull and two minutes later, Town’s appeals for a penalty during a goalmouth scramble were waved away with the referee instead awarding Bridgwater a free-kick.
The second half continued in much the same form with Town putting Bridgwater under a sustained period of pressure for the first five minutes before the game became one of attrition.
In the 55th minute, Bridgwater had their first attempt on goal, Town keeper Sarah Quantrill reacting well to a dipping shot to push it onto the bar and out for a corner.
Town ended the game in control of the half, dictating the play and pushing forwards down the left and right channels with Wearing putting in an accomplished defending display.
Sheehan made some changes in the second half, Nia Evans coming for Maddie Biggs on 79 minutes before Leah Mitchell and Abbie Smith replaced Natasha Thomas and Maria Boswell in injury time, the latter pair having picked up knocks.
It wasn’t a match that will live long in the memory, but it was a positive and assured display from Town to pick up their first win of the season at the AGL Arena and build on the win against Billericay. just over a fortnight ago
Ipswich now look forward to next weekend and their rescheduled FA WNL Cup Determining Round fixture against Division One South East side QPR.
Town: Quantrill, Boswell (A Smith 90+5), Wearing, Lafayette, Hughes, Horwood, King, Grey, Brasero-Carreira, Biggs (Evans 79), Thomas (Mitchell 90+4). Unused: Meollo, Way. Attendance: 303.