Lenna Gunning-Williams netted twice and Summer Hughes and Elkie Bowyer once each as Ipswich Town Women beat 10-woman Rugby Borough 4-1 in the first ever game between the sides at the AGL Arena in Felixstowe this afternoon.
The Tractor Girls had gone three games without a victory, then had their last two matches postponed, so unusually hadn't won a game in more than a month since the 6-1 success at London Bees on January 21st.
The game was only 34 minutes old when the visitors, who are third in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division table, were reduced in number after Angelina Nixon was red-carded for a heavy challenge on Ruby Doe.
And three minutes later, the Blues went in front when Hughes slammed home Sophie Peskett’s cross at the far post.
The Tractor Girls went close to a second on 68 when Doe’s overhead kick struck the bar, but two minutes later Rugby levelled via Yasmin Mosby against the run of play.
But within a minute, sub Gunning-Williams came off the bench to restore the Town lead, running on to Natasha Thomas’s flick and beating the keeper.
Four minutes later, on-loan Tottenham forward Gunning-Williams made it 3-1, driving into the area and firing into the net at the near post.
And two minutes from time, Gunning-Williams turned provider when she pressured Rugby keeper Erin Foley into a mistake and squared for fellow Spurs loanee Bowyer, who shot through a crowd and into the net to claim her first Town goal.
The victory moves the Blues up to fifth in the table ahead of next Sunday’s trip to Plymouth Argyle with the game being played at Coach Road, Devon FA’s headquarters in Newton Abbot.
Town: Hartley, Mitchell, Boswell (c), Williams, Hughes, Robertson, Horwood, Peskett (Bryant 81), Doe (Gunning-Williams 71), O’Brien (Bowyer 81), Thomas. Att: 492.