Ipswich Town Women ended a run of seven straight defeats in all competitions but remain rooted to the foot of Barclays Women's Super League 2 after an entertaining 1-1 draw away to Durham in which they had the better of the chances during a thrilling second half.
Going into the game at the Maiden Castle Sports Park, Ipswich Town found themselves five points adrift in the division’s single relegation position. Durham were one of three teams immediately above them and victory for the visitors could have brought Ipswich to within two points of their north-east rivals.
Town made two changes to their starting line-up from their last league match at home to Crystal Palace three weeks ago. Midfielders Charlotte Fleming and Shauna Guyatt came into the side after impressing against London City Lionesses in the Subway Women's League Cup. Defenders Grace Neville and Summer Hughes dropped out as the Blues fielded a back four with an extra player in midfield.
The home side were unchanged from their last WSL2 outing away to Southampton and fielded the league's top goalscorer Beth Hepple in central midfield. Former Town forward Lucy Watson was named as a Durham substitute.
There was a minute's silence ahead of the game to mark the passing of dedicated Durham fan Harry Tidbury, who had followed the team home and away. The home side wore black armbands as a mark of respect.
After a bright start from the hosts with Poppy Pritchard, on loan from Manchester City, impressing down both flanks, Ipswich began to string their passes together.
In the 11th minute, a long pass forward from Leah Mitchell on the right was expertly controlled on the chest by Rianna Dean, who spun and hit an instant volley towards goal which was scrambled around the post by Durham keeper Catriona Sheppard.
Midway through the half, Durham created their first clear chance when a long ball forward by Michaela Foster was flicked on by Hepple to Mariana Speckmaier, who was clean through. Left-back Bethan Roe appeared from nowhere on the forward's blind side to put in a goal-saving challenge, preventing the Venezuelan striker from getting in a shot on goal.
There was more excellent defending a few minutes later when a delicate lofted pass from Hepple found Speckmaier in space once again, but Ipswich Town captain Maria Boswell intervened to prevent the forward from turning back onto her stronger foot.
At the end of the first half, Speckmaier finally escaped the clutches of the Ipswich defence to race clear on goal but her fierce shot elicited a fine save from Natalia Negri.
In stoppage time, Dean wriggled free of her markers on the right of the penalty area to cross into the centre and Natasha Thomas volleyed a difficult chance over the bar.
Ipswich began the second half on the front foot and may have taken the lead when a looping header from Thomas dropped for Dean, who hooked the ball towards goal only for it to be cleared by a covering defender.
There was to be no reprieve on the hour as winger Sophie Peskett made an opportunity out of nothing.
Chasing a seemingly lost cause, she cleverly flicked the ball inside a bamboozled Lauren Briggs. Running around the defender, Peskett arrowed in on goal. She crossed for the onrushing Guyatt who side-footed in from close range. It was Peskett's fourth assist of the season.
In the 63rd minute, Durham goalkeeper Sheppard was cautioned after racing out of her goal to first deny Thomas legitimately before continuing forward to bring down Dean.
Three minutes later, Durham capitalised on that lucky escape when Hepple swung in a free-kick from the left and Foster dived in bravely to head home an equaliser.
In the 73rd minute, Ipswich should have retaken the lead though the same combination behind their earlier goal. Once again Peskett broke free down the right, this time her cross-shot was parried by Sheppard and fell to Guyatt but she volleyed wastefully over the bar.
A superb sliding tackle by Mitchell then denied Pritchard a shot on goal as the game began to flow from end-to-end on the artificial turf.
Dean was agonisingly close to scoring a winner for Town in injury time when her lobbed volley from the edge of the area crashed against the crossbar.
Further half-chances failed to produce a winner as both sides threw everything forward to gain the three points.
It was a fourth 1-1 draw in a row for Durham, who maintained their record of scoring in every league match which they have played this season.
After an FA Women's Cup tie away to fifth-tier Portchester next Sunday, Ipswich return to league action in two weeks when they once more travel to the north-east to take on Sunderland.
Durham: Sheppard, Ayre, Wilson (c), Foster, Briggs, Hepple, Toland, Blake (Watson, 57), Lambert, Pritchard (McFarland, 96), Speckmaier.
Ipswich Town: Negri, Mitchell, Boswell (c) (Peake, 87), Wearing, Roe, Dear, Fleming, Guyatt (O'Brien, 75), Peskett (Neville, 94), Dean, Thomas.
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