Former Tractor Girl Zoe Barratt came back to haunt Ipswich Town Women this afternoon, scoring a late winner for Oxford United as the Super Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat at Court Place Farm, their second loss of the league campaign.
Town manager Joe Sheehan made three changes to the team that had thrashed Cheltenham 8-0 at home last time out.
Laura Hartley replaced an injured Poppy Soper in goal, Megan Wearing resumed her position in central defence over Leah Mitchell following her international call-up and Lucy O’Brien replaced Ruby Doe at the top of the pitch.
With goalkeeper Nina Meollo on loan at Cambridge City, Sheehan was forced to name an outfield-only bench of Mitchell, Doe, Evie Williams, Erin Williams and Nia Evans.
The game started fairly evenly with both sides looking dangerous in attack and creating chances.
Only four minutes in, former Blue Barratt, who joined the U's from MK Dons in the summer, had the ball in the back of the next after latching on to a ball over the top of the Town defence, but the goal was chalked off for offside.
Almost straight away Town were at the other end of the pitch, Lenna Gunning-Williams dancing into the box only to see her shot held by Yellows keeper Paris Sercombe.
Soon after, Sophie Peskett cut in from the right to shoot centrally from the edge of the box but hit the ball straight at Sercombe.
A few minutes later, Hartley was called into action, making a low save from a shot from distance and pushing the ball out for a corner. The initial set piece was cleared and Hartley was able to hold the second shot from the recycled ball.
On 11 Lucy O’Brien received the ball from skipper Bonnie Horwood in midfield and drove into the box, but her final touch was heavy and the ball rolled out for a goal kick.
Five minutes later, the hosts opened the scoring. Town had been leaving gaps at the back and Kate Wiseman had plenty of space to strike the ball from 30 yards out, the ball pinging off the post and in at the top corner, with Hartley unable to reach the ball.
Following the goal, the momentum swung in Oxford’s favour with Shelly Provan given acres of space on Town’s right to cause havoc and get the ball in box.
On 28, O’Brien was robbed of the ball in the middle of the park and the U’s drove forward again, the resulting attempt on goal from Barratt flashing across Hartley and out for a goal kick.
Having been rocked by Oxford’s goal, Town started to reimpose themselves on the game as the first half came to an end, Gunning-Williams, O’Brien and Peskett all having attempts on goal in the last 10 minutes.
In the 43rd minute Robertson lost the ball and Barratt was played in, only a last ditch tackle on the edge of the box stopping her going one-on-one with Hartley.
Deep in to stoppage time, midfielder Kyra Robertson was booked for chopping down former teammate Barratt on the halfway line.
Town started the second half strongly, moving the ball forward with purpose and creating better chances inside the first 15 minutes of the period.
The Blues started applying pressure and for the most part kept the ball in the Yellows’ half, with Sercombe forced to make several smart saves to prevent the Blues from equalising.
Just after the hour mark, Sheehan made his first change from the bench, bringing off Barker and replacing her with Evie Williams.
On 64 Gunning-Williams went down in the box but the referee waved away Town’s vociferous appeals for a penalty.
Two minutes later Gunning-Williams was played in by Natasha Thomas only to shoot agonisingly wide. On 68 Sheehan made another change, Gunning-Williams leaving the field to be replaced by Doe.
Town’s pressure eventually paid off and on 75 they were awarded a penalty after O’Brien was bundled over in the box, much to the home fans’ consternation. Horwood stepped up and struck the ball cleanly, low and to the left, to level the score.
Minutes later, there was another shout for a Town penalty, possibly clearer than the one awarded, but the referee declined to award the visitors a second spot-kick.
The equaliser woke up the hosts and Town found themselves under the cosh as the U’s attempted to retake the lead, having to defend several set pieces on the edge of their box.
On 82 minutes Jenna Legg found herself through on goal but could only strike the ball straight at Hartley. Three minutes later, Sheehan made his final change, replacing goalscorer Horwood with Nia Evans.
With three minutes left on the clock, Oxford retook the lead. Barratt, who had been a constant threat throughout the game, outpaced Megan Wearing to race through on goal and calmly roll the ball past Hartley and in at the far post to make it 2-1.
Town valiantly tried to get the ball up the pitch in the dying moments of the game, but could not trouble Sercombe as the home side saw the game out for the win and all three points.
Despite a strong start, Town were rocked by the early Oxford goal and were not able to get back into the game until almost at the break.
Although the better side after the restart, the Blues were unable to make their chances count with Sercombe proving a difficult goalkeeper to beat.
Once Ipswich had drawn level from Horwood’s penalty kick, Oxford seemed determined to re-establish their dominance, ultimately doing so through a fine effort from former Town forward Barratt.
Results elsewhere in the top half of the table were mixed, Rugby Borough beating Cheltenham 3-1, Portsmouth comprehensively dispatching Billericay 7-0 and Hashtag United falling to a first defeat of the season, losing 2-1 to MK Dons at home, meaning Town slip to fourth in the table behind Portsmouth, Hashtag and new leaders Rugby, with Pompey ahead on goal difference and with a game in hand.
Ipswich Town Women are back in action in two weeks’ time away to Chatham Town, who fell to a 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle having led the game 1-0 at half-time.
Town: Hartley, Barker (Evie Williams 61), Boswell, Wearing, Hughes, Horwood (Evans 80), Robertson, Peskett, O’Brien, Gunning-Williams (Doe 68), Thomas. Unused Subs: Mitchell, Erin Williams. Attendance: 323.