Town Women Continue Perfect Start to Season Sunday, 25th Aug 2024 16:54 by Matt Makin Ipswich Town Women’s perfect start to the league season continued at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe this afternoon, winning 2-0 against promotion rivals Hashtag United to go third in the table, behind Cheltenham and Exeter, on goal difference. Manager Joe Sheehan named an unchanged side from the one that ran out 3-0 winners at Oxford the previous weekend, including the same substitutes. Town weathered early pressure in the opening five minutes, as the visitors looked to force an opening down Ipswich’s right-hand side. Soon after, Town had their first opportunity of the game, Lucy O’Brien trying her luck from distance with a shot that was well held by Tags keeper Frankie Angel. On eight, a dangerous free-kick into the visitors’ box was headed off the bar and the follow-up shot blocked, before Hashtag were awarded a free-kick. Three minutes later, Town took the lead. Hashtag, who had shown their physicality early doors, gave away a free-kick outside the box and central to the goal. Shauna Guyatt played a low ball to an unmarked O’Brien, who was able to drive forward and lash the ball across the face of goal, leaving Angel stranded as it nestled in the bottom left of the net. Hashtag looked for an immediate response from kick-off and were again attacking down their left, but goalscorer O’Brien was back to clear the ball out of the box for a Tags throw. Following a spell of play mostly restricted to the middle of the park, Hashtag exerted some pressure on 25, putting the ball into a dangerous area of the Town box, but goalkeeper Natalia Negri bravely claimed the ball to snuff out the threat. On 31, Town had their first corner of the game. Natasha Thomas was able to rise to meet Guyatt’s delivery but headed over the bar. A few minutes later, Thomas put a cross into the box from the right that was cleared by the Tags defence. In the 42nd minute, Guyatt, Thomas and Sophie Peskett linked up to work the ball out to the right of the visitors’ box, but Peskett’s cross could not find a blue shirt. Two minutes later, Megan Wearing released Peskett out to the right again, but her first time effort to play the ball into the box was too close to the touchline and bounced out. As the first half drew to a close, Town were almost caught out with Negri losing a one-v-one outside her area, in a moment eerily similar to Arijanet Muric’s mistake for the men at the Etihad the day before, but Hashtag were unable to capitalise and Charlotte Fleming, wearing the armband in Maria Boswell’s absence, was able to get back and clear comfortably. Ipswich started the second half on the front foot attacking Hashtag’s left through Peskett and Guyatt. Hashtag looked to break on the counter but Fleming was again able to put her foot through the ball to clear the danger. Ten minutes after the restart, Ipswich doubled their lead. Peskett was able to win a foot race with the Tags defence to latch on to a long ball before squeezing it underneath Angel for her third goal of the season. On 64 Hashtag had their first real chance of the game but the shot was easily claimed by Negri. But Town continued to control the game and look the more threatening side in attack. In the 70th minute, Guyatt displayed some excellent footwork to retain possession of the ball in the Town box but was unable to get a shot away, with Peskett doing the same moments later. A minute later, Sheehan made his first substitution of the game with Thomas, who had played a vital role in holding the ball high up the pitch, making way for Isabella Fisher. The dual registration forward from Arsenal was involved shortly after her introduction, looking to be through on goal from a long and high ball but was flagged for offside. On 78 Town made another change with Issy Bryant replacing Peskett. As the game drew to a close, Hashtag looked to force their way back into the game and on 80 got a shot away that appeared to be goalbound only for Negri to pull off a spectacular save to deny the visitors, a trait that is fast becoming her hallmark in a Town shirt. Six minutes later, Tags sub Louise Davies found herself with the ball inside the Town box, but Megan Wearing was able to cooly step in and remove the danger. On 89 Sheehan made his final change, replacing Angela Addison with Eloise King. Hashtag forced a corner deep into injury time which was easily cleared with the referee bringing the game to a halt not long after. After a statement win against Oxford United in the season opener the weekend before, Ipswich further enhanced their promotion credentials with another assured performance in front of a large home crowd. Peskett was at her usual best, linking up well with Guyatt down Town’s right-hand side to provide a threat. Fleming looked solid again in defence, and all of the Blues’ summer additions appear to have integrated well into the side. Ipswich Town Women are next in league action next Sunday with an away trip to Exeter, however, all eyes will be on the East Anglian derby at Carrow Road this Thursday evening, playing Norwich City in the FAWNL Cup determining round fixture. Town: Negri, Fleming, Mitchell, Wearing, Williams, Barker, O’Brien, Peskett (Bryant 78), Guyatt, Addison, Thomas (Fisher 71). Att: 631.
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