Ipswich Town Women secured a vital point in their fight for WSL2 survival, putting in a competitive performance as they drew 1-1 with high-flying Bristol City at Colchester’s Jobserve Community Stadium.

Interim-manager David Wright took charge of his first league game with the Blues in Essex, having been in the dugout for Town’s FA Cup defeat in Felixstowe to Sheffield United last weekend, and named a strong side to take on the Robins.

Natalia Negri started in goal, screened by a back four of Beth Roe, Megan Wearing, Paige Peake and skipper Maria Boswell. Jenna Dear and Leah Mitchell started in defensive midfield, with an attacking three of Natasha Thomas, Lucy O’Brien and Sophie Peskett behind striker Rianna Dean.

New signings Lucy Ashworth-Clifford and Colette Cavanagh made the bench, with latest addition Kit Graham missing out on the matchday squad.

Ipswich started the game on the front foot, Peskett striding forward in the second minute and cutting into the centre before picking out Thomas on the right, but O’Brien could only head her cross wide while unmarked.

Despite the disparity in league places, Town more than held their own during the opening stages of the game and defended well when required, and on 14 were rewarded for their efforts.

Following a foul on Peskett as she broke towards Bristol City’s box, Dear whipped in a superb free-kick towards the back post which Thomas was able to poke home from short range to give the home side the lead.

The early goal woke up the visitors and Town soon found themselves on the backfoot and dropping deeper to defend. On 20 Rio Hardy looked to break into the box but Peskett and Boswell combined well to clear the danger.

Moments later, Lexi Lloyd-Smith then shot wide and soon after Robins skipper Viky Losada saw her effort from distance pushed wide by Negri.

The Robins’ quickly taken short corner found its way back to Losada who was then adjudged to have been fouled, Emily Syme’s resulting free-kick coming off the wall for another corner, which was easily cleared by Town.

Having weathered the spell of pressure after taking the lead, the Blues started to advance again and on 33 O’Brien latched on to a long ball before driving forward to get a cross into the Bristol City area, Thomas narrowly missing connecting with it. The ball was then recycled back out to Dear, who shot over the bar.

On 37, Negri collided with an onrushing attacker as she came off her line to claim the ball, requiring some treatment before taking the goal-kick.

Soon after, Syme checked into the Town box and squared the ball to Lloyd-Smith, but her efforts were cleared and with the Blues on the break, Losada’s effort to stop the attack resulted in her receiving the first caution of the game.

Ipswich won their first corner of the game in the 43rd minute, Peake heading towards goal at the back post and the West Country side only able to clear as far as Peskett, who was able to get the ball back into the box to O’Brien, who couldn’t get a shot away.

In the final scheduled minute, Town had another free-kick into the box, Dear’s effort narrowly missing the head of Thomas.

The half ended with a Bristol City effort, Negri forced to push Lloyd-Smith’s long-rang effort out before holding the subsequent corner.

Ipswich were good for the lead at the break. Despite Bristol City having most of the possession, Town were able to do more with it and also restricted the visitors to efforts from distance.

Town were also able to weather the storm post-goal and put in some solid defending as the Robins looked to quickly restore parity in the scoreline.

The Blues started the second half brightly, Peskett breaking on 50 but not quite able to steer her cross towards O’Brien. O’Brien was then fouled at the beginning of a passage of play which created a host of opportunities for the home side, the referee coming back when play stopped to book Esther Morgan for the challenge.

In the 58th minute, Bristol City coach Charlotte Healy made a triple substitution to try and get her side back in the game, Morgan, Losada and Katie Robinson making way for Harley Bennett, Marine Dafeur and Jessie Gale. Syme received the armband from the departing Losada.

The changes made and impact and momentum swung in the visitors’ favour. On the hour mark the Robins slipped the ball across the Town area and the Blues were lucky no-one was able to slot home at the back post with Negri not in a position to get down to any effort. On 63, City then shot over.

Three minutes later, Roe was the next player to receive a yellow card after fouling Syme outside the Town box, which led to an equaliser for the Robins.

Syme, from a similar position to Dear in the first half, delivered a good free-kick towards the back post which sub Bennett was able to head across Negri and into the back of the net. There was a delay to restarting the game with Negri again needing some treatment.

On 71, Wright made his first changes, O’Brien and Dean leaving the pitch to be replaced by new signing Cavanagh and Shauna Guyatt.

Thomas moved into the striker role with Guyatt taking up the attacking position on the left with Dear moving into the 10 role and Cavanagh partnering Mitchell in defensive midfield.

Three minutes later, Bennett went into the book for taking out Guyatt on the touchline as the attacker attempted to keep the ball in play. On 78 Bristol City made another change, Hardy making way for Vera Jones.

Despite having been pegged back, Ipswich did not crumble as they have done so many times this season and were searching to restore their lead. In the 82nd munute, Thomas shot just wide after being played in by Peskett. Soon after, Bristol had a succession of corners, which Town’s defensive unit were able to comfortably deal with.

On 86 Peskett looked to break away in the middle of the park, but was chopped down by a cynical foul from Dafeur, who was immediately booked.

From the restart, Peskett was able to get down the right and play a dangerous ball towards Thomas which was blocked, the referee inexplicably giving a goal-kick, despite the ball clearly coming off a red shirt last.

Two minutes from the scheduled end, both sides made further changes with Sophie Ingle coming off for Maria Farrugia and Dear and Peskett departing for Ruby Doe and Grace Neville.

A minute into time added on, Town fans thought their side were going to win it at the death after Cavanagh strode out from midfield before picking out Guyatt on the left, but the attacker skewed her shot wide.

Two minutes later, Thomas went down injured and had to be helped off the pitch to be replaced by another debutant, Ashworth-Clifford.

Bristol City had another corner cleared late on, before the referee eventually brought the game to an end after a succession of throw-ins for both sides.

Given the 7-0 humbling Bristol handed to Ipswich in Ashton Gate in November, this was a much-improved performance from the Blues against a side chasing automatic promotion to the WSL this season.

Peskett and Thomas both looked electric and put in arguably the best performances of the season and Town looked more organised at the back than in recent games.

Of importance to note too was Town’s resolve once Bristol levelled the game, keeping themselves in the match rather than conceding again through errors as seen on several occasions home and away this campaign.

The introduction of Cavanagh for the last 20 minutes of the game gave Ipswich a physical presence in the middle of the park that has been missing this season.

With Portsmouth, Durham and Sheffield United all losing this weekend, Town moved to within four points of safety with a game in hand.

Ipswich still have to play all three of their relegation rivals before the season ends, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Blues can beat the drop.

Town are on the road for their next two fixtures, heading to the North-East next weekend to take on Newcastle United before travelling to the south coast a week later to face Portsmouth, returning to Colchester on 15th February with a match against Sheffield United.

Town: Negri, Boswell (c), Peake, Wearing, Roe, Mitchell, Dear (Doe 88), Peskett (Neville 88), O’Brien (Cavanagh 71), Thomas (Ashworth-Clifford 93), Dean (Guyatt 71). Unused: Hartley, Hughes, Fleming, Seaby

Bristol City: Bentley, Sáez, Struck, Morgan (Bennett 58), Ward, Losada (c) (Dafeur 58), Ingle (Farrugia 88), Robinson (Gale 58), Lloyd-Smith, Syme, Hardy (Jones 78). Unused: Mutch, Powell, Meena. Att: 803.

Photo: Matchday Images/ITFC