Ipswich Town Women’s losing run continued, the Blues falling to their heaviest defeat of the season after being thrashed 7-0 by high-flying Bristol City at Ashton Gate this afternoon.
Manager Joe Sheehan made a number of changes to the side that lost 4-1 to Newcastle United at home last weekend and also switched the formation to a 3-5-2.
Natalia Negri remained in goal screened by a back three of Paige Peake, Megan Wearing and Leah Mitchell.
The midfield five consisted of Beth Roe as the left wing-back, Grace Neville filling the right wing-back role and Jenna Dear, Ruby Doe and Sophie Peskett forming the midfield three. Up front, Rianna Dean partnered Natasha Thomas.
Maria Boswell, Kyra Roberston, Charlotte Fleming and Maddy Earl, all starters last week, were named on the bench alongside Lucy O’Brien, Shauna Guyatt, Ruby Seaby and reserve goalkeeper Laura Hartley. Kaci Jai Bonwick, an unused substitute last time out, dropped out of the matchday squad.
With Boswell and Robertson both on the bench, Roe took the captain’s armband for the beginning of the match.
Ipswich started brightly, fashioning half-chances in the first few minutes of the game. The change in formation appeared to allow for the wing-backs to drop into a defensive five out of possession and push forward when Town were on the ball.
Bristol City responded brightly, however, and on seven went ahead, Sophie Ingle heading in a corner with Town once again failing to effectively defend a set piece.
Ipswich went looking to get straight back into the game, winning a corner of their own two minutes later when Dean’s shot was deflected wide. The low delivery, however, went straight to a red shirt and was comfortably cleared.
On 12, the home side doubled their advantage. Maria Farrugia had no trouble bursting down Ipswich’s right-hand side, easily beating Neville to put a pinpoint cross in for Rio Hardy to beat Wearing to the ball and slot home at the near post.
Two minutes later, it was 3-0, Lexi Lloyd-Smith picking up the ball in the box and being able to swivel and shoot past Negri.
Town were clearly rocked by the fast start by City and struggled to get any real time on the ball. On 15 Negri was forced to push Emily Syme’s cross-cum-shot out for a corner. Soon after Bristol cut through the Town defence again and blasted a shot just wide.
Five minutes later, a deep free-kick from Roe found Thomas in the box, but the forward could only head wide. Bristol City then swept forward through Camila Sáez with Negri again forced to push the ball out for a corner.
In the 32nd minute, Town managed to move the ball forward and Dear played an inviting ball into the Robins box, but Thomas was unable to connect with it.
Soon after, Dear had a shot towards goal but it was well off target. A minute later, however City, made it 4-0. The home side swept forward again encountering minimal opposition and Syme played in a superb cross for Farrugia to strike it past Negri, who was at full stretch.
Three minutes before the break, a rare Town foray forward resulted in another well-wide effort towards goal.
Shortly after, Roe drilled a free-kick to the edge of the Bristol City penalty area which the away side managed to keep alive, Dear eventually hitting a speculative effort wide of goal.
In the final minute of the half, Town were again beaten down their left but Negri was able to hold Farrugia’s effort.
The Robins continued their dominant form from the restart and looked to add to their goal tally from the off.
On 48, Syme was able to get in behind on the right and put a dangerous ball into the box which no-one could connect with. Soon after, Mari Ward’s shot beat Negri but bounced back out from the base of the post to spare the Blues’ blushes.
Five minutes later, the home side increased their lead to five goals, again from a corner. Thomas was able to head the initial effort away from goal but Ingle was able to get on the second ball and bundle home from close range after her first effort was blocked by Negri.
As the Bristol fans celebrated Sheehan made his first change, withdrawing Doe and replacing her with Fleming.
In the 57th minute, City almost added a sixth goal, Roe’s overhead kick clearing Hardy’s effort off the line.
A minute later, Peake played a poor pass back towards Negri which Hardy was quick to latch on to and then clip past the onrushing keeper, who made a valiant attempt to block the ball after being left exposed by Peake’s undercooked pass.
Ipswich continued to show some promising flashes going forward and on 59 Neville was able to hang a ball into a promising area of the Bristol City box, but it was professionally shepherded out of danger by the home defence.
On 61 Dear and Peskett linked up well to get the latter in the box, only to be forced out wide to strike a tight-angled effort which was deflected away to Dear, who then shot wide.
A minute later, Robins manager Charlotte Healy made her first changes, replacing Marine Dafeur and Lexi Lloyd-Smith with Malaika Meena and Vera Jones.
Two minutes later, Sheehan made his own changes, Peskett and Peake making way for Guyatt and Boswell.
Thomas forced herself into a promising position on 68 and managed to win a corner. Neville played a low ball to Boswell on the edge of the box, but the defender scuffed her effort towards goal.
The game dipped somewhat in intensity with 20 minutes to go, but Bristol City remained the dominant side.
On 73 Healy replaced Farrugia with Lia O’Leary and five minutes later brought on Isabel Hebard to replace Sille Struck, and at the same time Sheehan withdrew Thomas for O’Brien, the attacker making her first appearance for Town since getting injured against Nottingham Forest in September.
With ten minutes left, Neville delivered a deep cross into the box which Robins goalkeeper Fran Bentley had to punch clear, the follow-up effort then going wide for a goal-kick.
Soon after, Town failed to deal with another attack, Hardy eventually shooting wide after the ball pinged around in front of the Blues goal.
Deep into five minutes time added on, the Robins added a seventh goal. This time it was two subs linking up with O’Leary putting a cross towards Hebard, who capitalised on Negri’s poor positioning to guide it home.
The Blues have now lost their last five competitive games, four in the league and one in the League Cup, and remain bottom of the division with the worst defensive record in WSL2.
With Portsmouth leaving it late to snatch a 3-2 win against Sunderland, having been 2-1 down entering time added on, Ipswich are now three points from safety.
Next week’s opponents Crystal Palace now occupy 11th spot, having lost 2-1 to Sheffield United, who continue their fine run of form which began with their home victory against the Blues.
Despite Sheehan identifying Town’s defensive frailties in his pre-match comments, more of the same was seen today with individual errors and players playing out of position ruthlessly exploited by a Bristol City side in fine form, moving to second and the automatic promotion spots.
While the Blues showed some attacking prowess, fans will be rightly questioning what can be done to improve Town’s defensive resilience with a quick response needed next weekend against a Palace side who appear to be falling into the relegation scrap.
The Blues take on the Eagles in WSL2 action at the Jobserve Colchester Community Stadium on 16th November, before hosting WSL side London City Lionesses in their third Subway Women’s League Cup Group D game on 23rd November.
Bristol City: Bentley, Struck (Hebard 78), Lawley, Ingle, Farrugia (O’Leary 73), Ward, Lloyd-Smith (Jones 62), Syme (c), Dafeur (Meena 62), Hardy, Sáez. Unused: Williams, Law, Johnson, Mutch, Freeman.
Ipswich Town: Negri, Neville, Mitchell, Wearing, Peake (Boswell 64), Roe (c), Doe (Fleming 54), Dear, Peskett (Guyatt 64), Dean, Thomas (O’Brien 78). Unused: Hartley, Hughes, Robertson, Earl, Seaby. Attendance: 1,516.
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