Sophie Peskett hit a first-half hat-trick as Ipswich Town Women’s amazing start to the season continued with a 6-0 thrashing of Billericay Town in Essex this evening.
Town manager Joe Sheehan made two changes to the side that comprehensively dispatched Lewes last time out more than a fortnight ago, Maisy Barker and Isabella Fisher making way for Summer Hughes and Natasha Thomas. Former Blue Bonnie Horwood, who left the club for Billericay in the summer, lined up for the hosts.
Ipswich were on the front foot from minute one, forcing a chance after only three minutes with Angela Addison’s effort crashing off the base of the left post and back out. Billericay had a corner themselves a few minutes later which saw Town counter and force a set piece of their own.
On 10 Ipswich opened the scoring with another counter from a Billericay corner, Peskett bursting down the right to put the ball in the box for Thomas to get in behind the defence and crash the ball off the post, with Peskett then putting in the rebound.
Six minutes later, Peskett made it 2-0, latching on to a long ball from Megan Wearing to go one-on-one with Billericay goalkeeper Aimee Watson before coolly slotting home.
Town continued to dominate the game and keep the hosts pinned into their own half. On 23 Charlotte Fleming’s free-kick from outside the box went straight to Watson and three minutes later Wearing headed wide from a Shauna Guyatt cross.
In the 31st minute, Billericay had a free-kick in a dangerous area but Horwood couldn’t quite keep her shot down and the ball went over for a Town goal-kick.
Two minutes later, Town had another attempt in the box, with several visiting players appealing for a handball blocking Thomas’s goalbound shot.
On 38, Peskett tried her luck from distance, and her curling shot beat Watson but came back out off the top of the left post. However, two minutes later, the ball was in the back of the net courtesy of a superb free-kick from Addison making the scoreline 3-0.
And on 43 Peskett completed a first-half hat-trick with a scruffy close-range goal following a low ball into the box from the left via Lucy O’Brien.
Ipswich started the second half with their foot somewhat off the gas with Billericay seeing more of the ball and creating chances, having two shots on goal in quick succession shortly after the restart.
On 48 Town goalkeeper Natalia Negri dithered with the ball at her feet which resulted in her clearance being blocked, the ball spinning up in the air and towards the goal, with Negri eventually getting back to claim it.
Billericay continued to defend tightly, closing gaps that Town had been able to pass through in the first half and attack on the counter.
On the hour mark, Sheehan made his first changes, O’Brien and hat-trick hero Peskett leaving the pitch to be replaced by Kyra Robertson and Ella Rutherford.
Soon after, Billericay attempted to create chances with diagonal long balls to Ella Houghton with Wearing equal to them each time. On 67 Town made another change, Fisher replacing Thomas up top.
On 78, after a spell of renewed pressure, Town added a fifth goal to their tally. Shauna Guyatt shot from the edge of the box and Watson was unable to get down low to stop the ball. Three minutes later, Sheehan made his final changes, Addison and Hughes making way for Bryant and Barker.
Ipswich made it 6-0 in the 82nd minute, Wearing following up in the box after Rutherford’s free-kick was pushed onto the right post.
Ipswich were utterly dominant in the first half, keeping the ball well and looking likely to score with every attack.
With the game effectively over as a contest by half-time, the visitors could be forgiven for easing off after the restart and letting Billericay back in the game, before putting any lingering doubts to bed with two goals inside the final quarter-hour of the game.
Ipswich Town Women, who remain three points behind leaders Hashtag United, who won 3-0 at home to Lewes, but with two games in hand, are back on the road this weekend, returning to Devon to face Exeter City in the first round proper of the FAWNL Cup on Sunday, before returning to Felixstowe a week later to take on promotion rivals Watford in the league.
Town: Negri, Boswell, Mitchell, Wearing, Hughes (Barker 81), Fleming, Guyatt, O’Brien (Robertson 60), Addison (Bryant 81), Peskett (Rutherford 60), Thomas (Fisher 67). Unused subs: Hartley, Williams.
https://x.com/ITFCWomen/status/1839246425168703961