Ipswich Town Women were beaten 4-2 by FAWNL Southern Premier Division leaders Portsmouth at Westleigh Park, Havant this afternoon.
Pompey took the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute through Georgie Freeland.
And they doubled their advantage on 34 when Emma Jones hit home from some distance.
Pompey were temporarily reduced to 10 women in the 38th minute when Riva Casley was sin-binned for 10 minutes.
But three minutes into that spell, the hosts made it 3-0, Nicole Barrett’s free-kick from deep avoiding everyone and finding the net.
Town pulled one back in the 42nd minute when Bonnie Horwood smashed a penalty into the top corner after Ruby Doe had been fouled.
But Pompey restored their three-goal lead in the 67th minute when Freeland netted her second of the afternoon.
The Blues reduced the arrears to two goals once again five minutes from time when Doe finished from Summer Hughes’s cut-back, but were unable to find the further goals which would have claimed them the points in the remaining minutes.
Town remain fourth in the league with their next match their Portman Road debut when they face second-bottom Chatham Town on Saturday 23rd March (KO 3pm).
Town: Hartley, Mitchell (Barker 74), Boswell (c), Williams, Hughes, Robertson (O’Brien 68), Horwood, Peskett (Bryant 74), Doe, Gunning-Williams (Bowyer 68), Thomas.