A late Gillian Kenney goal salvaged a point for WSL2 leaders Charlton and denied Ipswich Town Women their second home win of the season, the game ending 1-1, the Blues having been more than good for a point to extend their unbeaten league run to four games under interim-manager David Wright.

Wright named an attacking side with Natalia Negri continuing in goal along with a back four of Maria Boswell, Paige Peake, Megan Wearing and Bethan Roe.

Kit Graham came in alongside Leah Mitchell to form the defensive midfield pairing, while Lucy O’Brien started in the 10 role behind striker Rianna Dean, who was flanked by Ava Baker and Sophie Peskett.

Wright also named a strong bench, Laura Hartley returning as reserve goalkeeper and joined by Nelly Las, Kenzie Weir, Charlotte Fleming, Colette Cavanagh, Malaika Meena, Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, Natasha Thomas and Princess Ademiluyi.

Despite the gulf in league position, Ipswich took the game to Charlton early doors and on three created their first chance of the game, O’Brien finding Baker out on the left who then cut in and dinked the ball into the box towards Peskett, but Charlton stopper Sophie Whitehouse was quick to collect.

A few minutes later, Dean was able to latch on to a loose ball before feeding it to Peskett, whose run was checked out for a corner. Graham’s first effort was blocked out at the near post for a second set piece, which was then put out again but this time for a goal-kick.

On 10, Katie Bradley got down the right for the visitors only to see her shot blocked out for a corner. Bradley’s delivery went to Negri who spilled it, but Graham was quick to react and clear the danger.

Four minutes later, Baker was again dangerous down the left, using her pace to get inside the area and play the ball across the box, Dean’s outstretched leg pinging the ball wide.

And on the quarter hour, Town were awarded a penalty after O’Brien was brought down in the area by Elisha N’Dow, the Charlton player vociferously protesting to the assistant referee that she had won the ball fairly.

After a lengthy delay for Karin Muya to receive treatment, after which Whitehouse inexplicably was not booked for timewasting having untied her laces during the stoppage, Peake stepped up to the spot to take the penalty. The centre-back drilled the ball low and powerfully into the bottom left corner, sending Whitehouse the other way and putting the Blues into a deserved lead.

Soon after the restart, Baker became the first player to be booked after kicking the ball away out of play after Town conceded a throw-in. Although a fair decision, home fans were chagrined having witnessed Whitehouse not cautioned for her delaying antics between Muya leaving the pitch and Town’s penalty being taken.

On 29 Charlton had a free-kick which they delivered into the Ipswich area, but it was comfortably dealt with.

Straight after, Graham lost the ball in her own half and Bradley strode forward, but could only shoot straight at Negri.

After a succession of Town corners, on 33 Baker lifted the ball into the Charlton box but an onrushing Dean could not get on the end of it.

Soon after, Charlton, ending the half strongly, won another corner but could only put the ball onto the roof of the Town goal.

In the 37th minute, another Charlton free-kick was sent into the Town box and, after a scramble to clear, the visitors won a second one just beyond the 18-yard line after a handball.

Bradley’s low effort came off the wall and went out for a corner with Town winning a free-kick from the subsequent set piece after Dean was caught in the back of the head whilst defending it.

Charlton had a few more efforts in the four minutes added on to the end of the first half, crashing the ball off the crossbar and shooting wide, before the referee called a halt to the game for half-time.

Both managers made changes at the break, Wright replacing the struggling Dean with Ademiluyi and Addicks manager Karen Hills introducing Kiera Skeels in place of Lucia Lobato.

Town’s new striker made her presence known early on, striding forward on 51 and trying to thread through Peskett, who couldn’t quite beat Whitehouse to the ball. On 57 Charlton won another corner but again could only drop it on top of the Town net.

Just before the hour, Wright made further changes with Graham and O’Brien, the latter having impressed throughout and the winner of Town’s penalty, making way for Meena and Thomas.

Soon after, the Blues were back on the front foot with skipper Boswell sending in a well-placed cross which Thomas headed over. Shortly after, Ademiluyi had two attacks down the right which culminated in shooting into the side netting.

On 65 Town almost doubled their lead after Peskett’s stinging long-range effort was palmed out by Whitehouse.

Four minutes later, Boswell delivered another accurate cross into the box with the Addicks only able to clear as far as Meena, whose effort from distance went wide.

Further changes were made by both teams in the 70th minute with Baker making way for Ashworth-Clifford for Town and Muya and Flannery leaving the pitch for Emma Bissell and Katie Lockwood.

A minute later, Charlton, who had been doing more defending than attacking over the course of the game, floated the ball into Town’s area but Negri was quick to claim the ball at the feet of the onrushing attacker.

A few minutes later, substitute Bissell was booked for going through the back of Mitchell as she looked to break forward from her own half. Soon after, a nice piece of interplay between Roe and Ashworth-Clifford saw the former swing in a cross towards Ademiluyi in the box, the striker heading wide.

Eleven minutes from time, Bissell hit a speculative effort on goal, her tame strike easily held by Negri. Bradley then shot wide with Negri having the effort covered, before the Town stopper required some treatment for a leg issue.

On 82, the final substitutions were made with Mitchell, a strong presence in Town’s midfield all game, replaced by Cavanagh for the Blues and Jodie Hutton and Lucy Fitzgerald making way for Mary McAteer and Amalie Thestrup for the South Londoners.

A minute later, and against the run of play, the Addicks were level. Bradley was able to get past Roe on Ipswich’s left flank and put in an inch-perfect cross towards Kenney on the six-yard line, the Charlton number 10 heading past Negri who was rooted to the spot.

Town were not disheartened, however, and had the ball in the back of the net almost immediately from the restart, but no goal was given as Ademiluyi was deemed to have handled the ball in the build-up.

Ipswich continued both to defend well and look to catch Charlton on the break to restore their lead. On 88 there was a clash between Ademiluyi and Lockwood after the Town forward was brought down, with the Charlton player booked for the foul. In the final minute of normal time Cavanagh was also booked after a tangle of legs.

The referee added on three minutes to the end of the half but there was little to note from either side, with the official eventually blowing up with honours even.

Ipswich will feel hard done by to not have gained all three points this evening, however, their performance against the runaway league leaders was further sign of the progress made since the turn of the year.

Town continued to look more solid defensively and were not afraid to press Charlton, controlling the game for large periods and looking more likely to find a second goal before the admittedly well-worked equaliser.

The result, the only fixture tonight as a rearranged game from earlier in the season, sees Town go into 11th place outright, now one point ahead Portsmouth, closing the gap to Sheffield United to two points. The Blues also have a game in hand, against the Blades, Sunday’s match yet to be rearranged after a waterlogged pitch caused it to be postponed.

With a break in WSL2 fixtures on the horizon, Ipswich Town Women are not back in action until 15th March when they host ninth-placed Durham Women at the Colchester Jobserve Community Stadium with a win in that game taking them level on points with the Wildcats.

Ipswich Town: Negri, Boswell (c), Peake, Wearing, Roe, Mitchell (Cavanagh 82), Graham (Meena 59), Peskett, O’Brien (Thomas 59), Baker (Ashworth-Clifford 70), Dean (Ademiluyi 46)
Unused: Hartley, Las, Weir, Fleming.

Charlton Athletic: Whitehouse (c), Mason, Newsham, N’Dow, Bradley, Kenney, Fitzgerald (Thestrup 82), Hutton (McAteer 82), Muya (Bissell), Lobato (Skeels 46), Flannery (Lockwood 70)
Unused: Pedersen, Ross Pearse, Waldie.

Photo: Matchday Images/ITFC