Ipswich Town took a huge three points from promotion rivals Watford at the AGL Arena this afternoon, Sarah Brasero-Carreira’s goal seeing the Blues to a 1-0 victory.
Town, in league action at home for the first time since the end of October, made two changes to the side that won at Bridgwater a fortnight previously, manager Joe Sheehan bringing in Brasero-Carreira and Maria Boswell in for Eloise King and Sophie Peskett, who both made the bench alongside new signing Holly Turner.
The Tractor Girls started brightly, creating the first chance of the game in the second minute. Lucy O’Brien held the ball up midfield before bringing Natasha Thomas into play, and she was able to burst forward and shoot, forcing a good save from Hornets keeper Georgie Ferguson.
Watford immediately broke forward in response, with defender Boswell putting the ball out for a corner.
The visitors soon grew into the game and were unlucky not to capitalise on dispossessing Megan Wearing on the edge of the Ipswich box with Town keeper Sarah Quantrill right behind the resulting shot.
As the first half wore on, Ipswich struggled to deal with Watford’s high press and on 19 minutes Watford had a succession of corners, the last one seeing Watford firing well high over.
Town were by no means out of the game though, with Abbie Lafayette seeing her header from a corner crash off the bar on 24 minutes.
Three minutes later, a Watford set piece into the box was poked towards goal but again Quantrill was right behind the ball to claim it.
On 33, Anna Grey was able to break forward towards goal but was smothered as she attempted to shoot from the edge of the Watford box.
A few minutes later the referee awarded a throw-in to Watford in the Ipswich half, much to the consternation of both Town players and fans as the ball had appeared to touch a Watford player before going out, with Gemma Davison’s subsequent audacious effort hitting the bar.
The second half started evenly with both sides looking to create an opening goal. On 58, Lafayette crossed the ball into the box, but Thomas was unable to put away the ball after Ferguson had failed to clear. Two minutes later, Davison had another attempt on goal with Quantrill being equal to it.
Shortly after, in the 61st minute, Town took the lead. Summer Hughes carried the ball out from the back and from left to right before feeding it to an overlapping Brasero-Carreira, whose shot beat Ferguson before cannoning off the bar and into the back of the net.
Despite having been second best for large parts of the first half, Ipswich had grown into the game after the break and were good for the lead.
Once ahead, Town took control of the game with large portions of play taking place in Watford’s half. But on 80, a long ball from deep in the Hornets’ half made its way to the edge of Town’s box with Quantrill forced to come out to prevent onrushing Watford players from latching on to the ball.
As the game entered injury time, the visitors piled on the pressure searching for a late equaliser. Manager Sheehan made his first substitution on in the first minute of time added on, handing Taylor her debut to replace Thomas, who had received treatment for a knock.
Three minutes later, Freya Godfrey replaced goalscorer Brasero-Carreira with her first touch of the game a header to clear the ball from a Watford corner, before the referee brought an end to the game.
The victory was a huge three points for the Tractor Girls, who despite remaining fourth in the league now move level on points with Watford in third place and putting them four points behind Oxford United in second and five points behind first-placed Portsmouth, Pompey having played two more games than the Blues.
Town will be back in action on Wednesday evening at the AGL Arena against Billericay Town, before a visit from Plymouth Argyle on Sunday 4th March.
Town: Quantrill, Hughes, Boswell, Wearing, Lafayette, Roberston, Horwood, Grey, O’Brien, Brasero-Carreira (Godfrey 90+4), Thomas (Turner 90+1). Unused Subs: Meollo, King, Peskett. Attendance: 369.