Ipswich Town Women play their opening game of 2022 against Portsmouth at the Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe on Sunday looking to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat at Oxford United at the end of last year (KO 2pm).

The Tractor Girls remain top of FA National League Southern Premier Division, five points ahead of Oxford with Southampton in third another point back but with two games in hand and a superior goal difference.

“It was a disappointing result but that’s gone now,” all-time top scorer Natashha Thomas reflected. “We’re on to the next game, battling for the three points and we’ll be focusing on that.”

Sunday’s visit by seventh-placed Portsmouth is the first game of a busy January and Thomas says she and her team-mates need to be up for all those matches.

“We’re really happy to get back, we really like it when it’s busy,” she added. “We’ve five games this month so we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for them all.”

Meanwhile, manager Joe Sheehan has been speaking to the Blue Monday Podcast as his side go into the new year.

Photo: Ross Halls

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