Ipswich Town Women sealed the FAWNL Southern Premier Division title, and their first ever promotion to the Women’s Championship, with an 8-0 thrashing of Cheltenham in front of a sell-out crowd at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe.
Blues manager Joe Sheehan made two changes from the side that had comprehensively dispatched MK Dons 11-0 a fortnight ago. Skipper Maria Boswell returned to the starting XI in place of Megan Wearing and Lucy O’Brien replaced Ruby Seaby.
Both Wearing and Seaby were named among the subs, as was youth player Kaci-Jai Bonwick who made her debut in the first team matchday squad.
Town, as they have done all season, started brightly and looked to open the scoring early. On four, the home side won their first corner of the match which Grace Garrad sent deep into the box.
A few minutes later, O’Brien made a blistering run down the left flank and put in a perfectly placed cross for Natasha Thomas, who inexplicably ballooned her shot over the bar.
Ipswich continued to press and Sophie Peskett began to cause issues for the Cheltenham defence down Town’s right.
On 18, the visitors had their first shot of the game, a speculative effort that easily found its way into Blues’ keeper Natalia Negri’s hands.
A minute later, Town opened their account for the day. O’Brien played a lovely one-two with Thomas to get herself in front of goal to lash home low and left.
A few minutes later, O’Brien almost doubled her and Town’s tally after driving through the middle of the pitch, but could not get her shot away before Cheltenham keeper Mia Smith got down to feet to clear the ball.
In the 25th minute, a sumptuous pass from Ella Rutherford found Peskett in space on the right and she was able to drive the byline and roll the ball across the six-yard box, only for no-one to be able to touch it home.
As the first half drew to a close Ipswich scored two goals in quick succession to make the score 3-0 at the break.
On 42, Summer Hughes was able to cut in from the left before pulling the ball back to Rutherford, who drilled home from the edge of the box.
And three minutes later, club-record goalscorer Thomas was able to smash home a rebound from Peskett’s initial effort.
Ipswich continued to control the game after the restart, dominating possession. On 52 Sheehan made his first changes, replacing Boswell and O’Brien with Wearing and Seaby. A few minutes later he made another substitution, Negri making way for second-choice goalkeeper Laura Hartley.
Town continued to push forward and give the away defence no respite, forcing a succession of corners.
In the 70th minute, Seaby burst down the right and cut the ball back to Rutherford, who in turn teed the ball up for Peskett, but her goal-bound shot was blocked by a defender. Shortly after, Ruby Doe made away for Bonwick to make her first-team debut for Ipswich.
Following another flurry of Town corners, the home side made it 4-0 on 77, Seaby following up another Peskett effort to stab the ball home from close range.
Four minutes later, Peskett got herself on the scoresheet, arrowing home at the near post and on 83 Bonwick unleashed a superb strike from distance which Smith could only watch hit the back of her net for 6-0.
As in the first half, Town closed out the second period with another two quick goals; Thomas first headed home on 89 after getting on the end of a looped ball into the box, before completing her hat-trick in the fifth minute of added-on time, the Cheltenham defence not quite able to clear her effort off the line.
The referee brought the game to end soon after with Ipswich players and fans alike erupting in celebration of the Blues’ success in winning the league and earning elevation to the Women’s Championship for the first time.
After initially heading to the dressing room the squad, including those players currently sidelined by injury, returned to the pitch to be presented with their league winners medals and the FAWNL Southern Premier Division trophy, skipper Boswell lifting it high to the delight of the home faithful.
The players then spent time, as always, meeting with fans both young and old to pose for pictures and sign autographs.
Although the scoreline suggests the final game was somewhat of a procession, the performance epitomised the professional approach this superb Ipswich Town Women side has taken to the season since the opening day away to Oxford United.
Town looked to dominate the game from the first kick of the ball and despite being virtually assured of promotion before kick-off treated the contest with the respect it deserved.
With second-placed side Hashtag United losing away to Oxford today, Ipswich Town finished six points clear of their promotion rivals having won 17 of their 22 fixtures, drawing three and losing only two. The Blues also finished with a goal difference of 79, having only conceded 10 times all season.
Having been in the mix for promotion for much of their time in the third tier of women’s football, Ipswich have more than earned their place in the Championship next season and will now look forward to testing their exciting brand of football at a higher level.
Sheehan, the players and indeed the fans will already be looking ahead to another exciting season.
Starting XI: Negri (Hartley 56), Mitchell, Boswell (Wearing 52), Garrad (Williams 85), Hughes, Robertson, Doe (Bonwick 72), Peskett, Rutherford, O’Brien (Seaby 52), Thomas. Unused: Barker, Bowyer. Attendance: 2,150.
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