David Wright suffered his first WSL2 loss as interim-manager of Ipswich Town Women, the Blues falling to a 2-0 defeat after being outclassed by a resurgent Nottingham Forest side at the City Ground this afternoon.

Wright made three changes from the side which was victorious over Durham last weekend with Nelly Las, Sophie Peskett and Rianna Dean replacing skipper Maria Boswell, Lucy Ashworth-Clifford and Princess Ademiluyi, with Las making both her first start for the club and in league football.

Natalia Negri remained in goal with Las joining Paige Peake, Megan Wearing and Beth Roe in the back four. Malaika Meena and Colette Cavanagh continued their defensive midfield pairing with Peskett and Ava Baker flanking Graham in the forward three, the Spurs loanee taking the armband in Boswell’s absence, and top scorer Dean occupying the striker role.

The Tricky Trees showed their attacking intent from the off, creating two chances within the opening three minutes. Town looked to get forward on seven, Baker attempting to get behind the Forest back line, but was eventually penalised for a foul.

In the 10th minute, Baker went on a mazy run down the left and skipped into the Forest box, but could not get her shot away before the ball was cleared.

On 12, Forest went close to opening the scoring again, Joy Omewa letting fly from distance but her effort was well wide.

Immediately after, Town fashioned their own chance when Las made a great cross from the right, but Baker’s finish from wide left something to be desired. Roe then got the ball out forward, but her final ball failed to reach Baker on the left.

Omewa was in the mix again on 16, breaking through into the box but not able to pull the trigger before Wearing got back to make a clearance, the Forest forward committing a foul in the process.

In the 19th minute, Town had an attacking free-kick outside the box after Cavanagh was brought down. Peake curled the ball into the box but Forest were able to clear and launch a counter, Las putting in a robust challenge to put an end to it.

The home side continued to control the game and on 23 Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah’s deflected shot was plucked out of the air by Negri.

Soon after, there was a stoppage in play for Dean to receive treatment for an injury, the Town forward was eventually able to leave the pitch under her own power before rejoining the game.

On 28, Forest’s perseverance paid off and they took the lead. Jessie Stapleton took the ball down their right flank and picked out Cerys Brown in front of her to put in a sumptuous cross which bobbled over Wearing’s outstretched leg for Omewa to rifle home from close range.

Town responded well to going behind and went forward through Peskett on 33, but her cross went all the way through to Baker on the left-hand side who recycled to Roe before Forest regained possession.

Soon after, Peskett looked to break forward through the middle of the park but was cynically brought down by Georgia Brougham, who was unlikely to catch the Town winger. The Forest captain was booked for her efforts.

Forest continued to push for a second goal and on 37 Alana Murphy’s shot from the edge of the box was only just wide, despite being fired through the crowd.

Two minutes later, Negri spilled Ebba Hed’s shot towards an onrushing Leanne Kiernan, who couldn’t quite poke home.

Kiernan’s cross then found Hed in the box, the Swede’s shot pushed out by Negri for a corner. The Town stopper was then called into action to punch the set piece off the goal-line, shortly before the referee brought an end to the first half.

Nottingham Forest were good for the lead at the break having created chances and seen significantly more possession than the Blues. Town, despite breaking forward on multiple occasions, had not been clinical and reached the mid-point without registering a shot on target.

Forest continued where they left off from the restart and on 47 doubled their lead. Wearing was again in the thick of the action, losing the ball to Boye-Hlorkah inside her own half, who then strode forward, shrugged off Roe’s challenge on the edge of the box and coolly slotted past an isolated Negri.

Same as before, Town went on the attack from the restart with Peskett getting down the right and seeing her cross headed over by Brougham for the Blues’ first corner of the game.

On 52 Rachel Rowe shot well over from distance, then just before the hour Hed came forward with the ball and found Rowe on the right, but her cross-cum-shot went straight to Negri.

On the hour mark, Wright made some attacking changes with a triple substitution. Mitchell replaced Meena, Ashworth-Clifford came on Baker and Ademiluyi replaced Dean up top.

The substitutes made an immediate impact and Town won another corner, which was put back in by Ashworth-Clifford after being initially cleared. Omewa then went forward from a second clearance and attempted to catch Negri off her line, but the long-range shot was well wide.

On 64, Forest manager Carly Davies made her first change of the game, goalscorer Omewa making way for Tove Almqvist.

Forest continued to lay siege to Town’s area, Kiernan’s 67th-minute point-blank header being held by Negri.

As the game moved into its final quarter of an hour, Town made their second change, Wright replacing Cavanagh with Natasha Thomas.

Three minutes later, the Blues fashioned a rare chance, another Peskett cross being headed over for a corner.

Ashworth-Clifford’s subsequent delivery was then punched away by Forest keeper Emily Batty with the second effort in then cleared.

On 80, Ashworth-Clifford danced into the box from the right but her tame low effort was easily held by Batty.

Two minutes later, Davies made her second substitution, again replacing a goalscorer by bringing on Aimee Claypole in place of Boye-Hlorkah.

In the 88th minute, Peskett shot wide after a neat passage of play. Davies then made two more changes as Forest looked to see the game out, Amy Rodgers and Deanne Rose coming on for Rowe and Kiernan.

Deep into the four minutes of added-on time, Mitchell won a corner but the delivery was headed clear as the referee blew up for a foul against Town with the game concluded shortly after.

The Blues were second best throughout the game, Forest getting back into their groove after no wins in their last four games and controlling possession and dictating the passage of play for large periods.

Town were able to sit back and attempt to hit Forest on the counter, but a lack of clinical finishing was costly along with defensive errors which led to both goals.

Despite the loss, the first in the league under Wright, Town remain off the bottom of the WSL2 table by a single point after relegation rivals Portsmouth lost 1-0 at Fratton Park to Sunderland.

With Durham holding Southampton to a goalless draw and Sheffield United falling to a 2-1 loss against Birmingham City, the Blues remain in a four-way race to avoid the drop. However, Town have the advantage of games in hand over their rivals, including a home fixture against the Blades.

Ipswich Town Women return to action next week against Southampton, with Portman Road hosting its first ever WSL2 fixture, before travelling to South London to take on Crystal Palace the following week.

Ipswich Town: Negri, Las, Peake, Wearing, Roe, Meena (Mitchell 60), Cavanagh (Thomas 75), Peskett, Graham (c), Baker (Ashworth-Clifford 60), Dean (Ademiluyi 60). Unused: Hartley, Boswell, Weir, Hughes, O’Brien

Nottingham Forest: Batty, Stapleton, Brougham (c), Mustaki, Hed, Rowe (Rodgers 88), Omewa (Almqvist 64), Brown, Kiernan (Rose 88), Murphy, Boye-Hlorkah (Claypole 82). Unused: Ferguson, N Johnson, Wellings, Olding, Green. Att: 1,576.

Photo: ITFC/Matchday Images