Ipswich Town Women host third-placed Rugby Borough in the first ever game between the teams in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division at the AGL Arena in Felixstowe this afternoon (KO 2pm).

Borough, formerly Coventry United, were relegated from the Women's Championship last summer and are enjoying an impressive season.

They currently sit third in the table, three places and 10 points above the Blues having played two more matches, and have been victorious in their last four games.

“It is always nice to play an opponent you haven’t played before,” winger Sophie Peskett said.

“We are familiar with certain faces in their team that we have played and we’ve got footage and stuff which we can watch and work on and tactically try and work around that.

“But it’s exciting to play a team we haven’t played before. It is nice but it is weird that we’ve gone such a long time without playing them, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Does she feel Rugby slipped under the radar a little at the start of the season?

“Potentially. They’re not to be underestimated, we know they’re a strong side,” Peskett reflected.

“They’ve picked up some really good results against some really good sides in our division, so we know they’re not going to be a walkover.

“Potentially, teams have gone into it and maybe underestimated them and that’s why they’ve fallen short.

“That’s 100 per cent not what we’re going to do and we’re expecting them to be a top, top side. It’s going to be a really tough one and we’re all really looking forward to it.”

Town will be getting back to action having had their last two matches, both at the AGL Arena, postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

The fixture, like yesterday’s men’s match against Birmingham, is part of the club's Her Game Too dedicated weekend. Town's players will wear Her Game Too branded T-shirts during the warm-up.

The Blues will be without midfielder Milly Boughton, who is away in Dubai with the Australia U20s, and keeper Poppy Soper.

Meanwhile, Peskett is looking forward to playing at Portman Road for the first time when the Tractor Girls take on Chatham Town on Saturday 23rd March (KO 3pm).

“We’re all well excited,” she added. “It’s been a long time coming, it’s been something we’ve been hoping for for a long time.

“I just hope that everyone can get down and we get a good crowd and it’s nice to have something to look forward to, so we’re all excited to look forward to the occasion.”

Photo: Ross Halls

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