Ipswich Town Women lead Plymouth Argyle 2-0 at half-time after a comfortable first 45 minutes at Portman Road, Lucy O’Brien and Natasha Thomas having netted the goals.
Manager Joe Sheehan made two changes from last week’s 2-0 win away against Gwalia United in Wales.
Shauna Guyatt dropped out of the squad having suffered a knock in that game and was replaced by O’Brien, who started on the left.
All-time top scorer and appearance-maker Natasha Thomas was also back in the XI as the central striker with Lucy Watson dropping to the bench.
Natalia Negri was in goal with Leah Mitchell at right-back and Summer Hughes on the left, while Megan Wearing and Grace Garrad were the centre-halves.
In midfield, Kyra Robertson skippered in club captain Maria Boswell’s absence through injury and was partnered by Ruby Doe.
Behind Thomas, Sophie Peskett was on the right, O’Brien the left and Ella Rutherford, watched from the stands by her influencer partner GK Barry, the number 10.
Forward Angela Addison missed out through injury, while teenager Kaci-Jai Bonwick was on the first-team bench for only the second time.
It took just 104 seconds for the Blues to take the lead. Following Leah Mitchell’s throw on the right, Thomas twisted and turned before sending over a cross from the byline which Pilgrims keeper Lily Felgate palmed out to O’Brien, who gleefully accepted the gift to settle any Town nerves.
The Blues went close again in the fourth minute when Peskett got away on the right and flashed a ball across the edge of the six-yard area with Thomas just unable to get a touch.
On eight, with Town well in control, Thomas flicked a Peskett cross from the right through to Felgate.
The Blues, with sponsor Ed Sheeran in the crowd, maintained their dominance and on 14 O’Brien burst down the left and crossed low towards Thomas but the ball was cut out inside the six-yard box and keeper Felgate cleared.
Two minutes later, O’Brien fired a low shot towards Felgate’s right post but the visitors’ number one claimed with comfort.
Plymouth threatened for the first time in the 18th minute from a free-kick midway inside the Town half, but the ball in was half-cleared and Roxylea Thomas’s effort from distance looped harmlessly into the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.
In the 22nd minute, Peskett sent over a cross and Thomas rose high at the near post but not high enough and the ball flicked off her head and out to the left.
But the Jamaica international didn’t have to wait too long to get on the scoresheet at Portman Road for a second year, the 29-year-old having netted twice in last year’s 5-0 victory over Chatham.
In the 26th minute, after a patient Blues build-up, Mitchell fed Peskett on the right and the winger sent over a cross for Thomas, who bravely headed into the net as Felgate sought to punch away.
Six minutes later, Plymouth skipper Panagiota Papaioannou got her name in referee Fabio Roque’s book for a late challenge on Peskett on the right. Garrad whipped over the free-kick and Mitchell headed wide, tripping over O’Brien as she did so.
On 39, O’Brien sent over a corner from the left and Scotland U19 international central defender Wearing looped a header onto the top of the bar at the back post.
Two minutes before the break, Peskett back-heeled the ball into O’Brien’s path on the left and she broke into the area before crossing low towards Thomas, however, Felgate was first to the ball.
Moments before one additional minute was announced, O’Brien again crossed from the left, this time after a short corner had been played back to her, and Garrad headed wide at the near post.
The whistle was greeted by applause from the home support with the Blues having been dominant from O’Brien’s early opener onwards.
A second goal was only a matter of time and Town could and probably should have gone in even further ahead at the break, while Natalia Negri in the Blues goal was still to face a shot.
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Town: Negri, Mitchell, Garrad, Wearing, Hughes, Robertson (c), Doe, Peskett, O’Brien, Rutherford, Thomas. Subs: Hartley, Watson, Seaby, Bowyer, Barker, Williams, Bonwick.
Plymouth: Felgate, Dickson, Thomas, Papaioannou (c), Pomfret, Whitmore, Sara, Wilson, Stephens, Kuyken, Smith. Subs: Weeks, Crawford, Knott, Jarvis, O’Shea, Orchard, Edwards. Att: 10,807.