Ipswich Town Women put Plymouth Argyle Women to the sword in their first FAWNL Southern Premier Division game at the AGL Arena earlier this afternoon, running out comfortable 7-1 winners against the Pilgrims.
Tractor Girls manager Joe Sheehan rung the changes from the team which progressed in the FAWNL Cup the previous week with Maria Boswell and Sophie Peskett returning to the starting XI and new loan signing Lenna Gunning-Williams (pictured) handed her full debut.
Evie Williams, who started against Billericay seven days previously, dropped to the bench and Erin Williams was not included in the matchday squad.
Town took the game by the scruff of the neck from the kick-off and imposed themselves on the visitors, winning an early free-kick just outside the Plymouth area, Peskett working the ball into the box and seeing her shot blocked.
A minute later, however, Ipswich took an early lead through Gunning-Williams. Kyra Robertson picked out Boswell on the right and her low cross was drilled home by the debutant.
The Tractor Girls continued to dominate the game and keep the ball in the opposing half. On 10 minutes, forward Natasha Thomas was able to round the keeper to shoot at an empty net only to see her effort blocked by a last-ditch defending block.
A few minutes later, Town attacked down the right-hand side again and created a shooting opportunity for Summer Hughes, but her effort on goal was deflected off target.
In the 15th minute, Ipswich doubled their lead after an errant clearance slammed into Peskett and ricocheted in at the keeper’s near post.
The Pilgrims started to take some control of proceedings after the second goal, breaking towards the Town goal and forcing centre-halves Leah Mitchell and Megan Wearing into a series of smart tackles.
On 25 minutes, Plymouth had their first shot on target, the effort flying wide, but suddenly found themselves back in the game a minute later, gifted a goal by the home team.
Town keeper Poppy Soper, whose distribution had been erratic during the game, played the ball out from the edge of her area straight into the path of Rebecca Danbridge, and the Blues number one was unable to backpedal to her line fast enough to deal with the shot.
The visitors were emboldened by their goal and immediately looked to push for an equaliser, but the Tractor Girls remained calm and composed after conceding and soon began to exert themselves on the Pilgrims.
Just before the half-hour, Gunning-Williams went into the referee’s book after playing on despite being flagged offside, a call questioned by both the striker and the Town faithful in the stands.
Two minutes later, Town restored their two-goal advantage through a superb solo effort from Peskett, who raced on to a loose backwards header from a Plymouth defender before arrowing the ball into the top corner.
On 39 minutes the ball was in the back of the visitors’ net again, through Natasha Thomas, however the forward was deemed offside and the goal was ruled out.
Town continued to press and on 42 minutes made it 4-1 following some terrific interplay down the right-hand side, Peskett delivering another low cross for Gunning-Williams to slot home for her second of the game.
Two minutes later, Peskett saw a shot blocked by goalkeeper Jasmine Read’s feet out for a corner with the keeper equal to Thomas’s headed effort moments later.
In the first minute of injury time Thomas made it 5-1 to Ipswich, her initial headed effort coming out off the crossbar and causing a goalmouth scramble and the ball then falling to the club’s all-time top scorer’s feet for her to rifle into the roof of the net.
Sheehan made one change at the break with youngster Ruby Doe replacing Nia Evans in the middle of the park, the latter having picked up a knock in the dying moments of the half.
Ipswich continued where they had left off before the break and in a mirror of the first half, won an early free-kick just outside the Plymouth box, skipper Bonnie Horwood floating the ball straight to Read.
Shortly afterwards, Peskett was brought down in the Plymouth half and the resulting set piece found Gunning-Williams in the box, but the loanee from Tottenham’s shot was blocked and the ball eventually cleared.
On 57 minutes Ipswich extended their advantage with a sixth goal. Horwood picked out Hughes on the left of the pitch, from where she was able to drive to the byline and cut the ball back to Gunning-Williams, who couldn’t quite get the ball out from under her feet, but in the ensuing scramble, Thomas was able poke the ball home from close range.
Immediately after the goal, Sheehan made further changes, replacing Gunning-Williams and Peskett with Holly Turner and Maisy Barker respectively.
With such a significant lead, Town were content to hold onto the ball and slow down play, making Plymouth work to gain possession.
In the 69th minute, Sheehan made his final outfield change, bringing on young defender Evie Williams to replace Hughes.
Not long after, Plymouth made a rare attack through Dandridge, who was able to break forward from midfield and force Soper into a low save, before Wearing was able to tidy up and put the ball out for a corner. Soper was called on again almost immediately, parrying a long-range effort away from goal.
On 74 minutes Town sent their fans into seventh heaven with a seventh goal. Williams, attacking down the left, put in a superb cross which Read was unable to deal with, only getting her fingertips on the ball as it sailed over her and into the net.
With a six-goal lead established, Ipswich sat back and saw the game out comfortably, creating a few chances through Thomas.
With seven minutes left to play both Doe and Barker required treatment for knocks with the latter unable to continue and Ipswich saw the game out with 10 players with only goalkeeper Laura Hartley remaining on the home bench.
Plymouth looked to score a consolation goal as the game died out, Jade Widdows forcing Soper into a low save and later heading over, but the Pilgrims were unable to reduce the deficit before the referee brought the game to and end, losing by a six-goal margin for the second league game in a row.
With the exception of a 10-minute spell in the first half, Town dominated the game, particularly down the right-hand side with the Plymouth defence unable to cope with the pace of Boswell and Peskett.
Gunning-Williams showed why she is so highly rated by parent club Tottenham Hotspur, scoring early and being a constant threat to the Plymouth defence.
With a large lead established early, manager Sheehan was able to use all his outfield subs with Williams scoring the final goal in a manner reminiscent of Kyle Edwards’s goal for the men’s team against Cambridge United last season.
The Tractor Girls are now on the road for their next two league fixtures, a visit to Hashtag United under the lights on Wednesday and a Sunday visit to MK Dons on Sunday, returning to the AGL Arena on Sunday 17th September to take on London Bees.
Town Soper, Boswell, Mitchell, Wearing, Hughes (Evie Williams 69), Horwood, Robertson, Peskett (Barker 58), Evans (Doe 46), Gunning-Williams (Turner 58), Thomas. Unused Sub: Hartley. Att: 534.