Boswell: In This League You Expect Better From the Officials
Saturday, 28th Mar 2026 16:29 by Kallum Brisset

Town Women captain Maria Boswell felt the Blues were on the end of some wrong decisions in their last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Southampton at Portman Road.

In what was the club’s first-ever WSL 2 fixture at Town’s iconic stadium, Rachel Brown struck the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Aimee Palmer’s free-kick cannoned off Kiera Sena and into her path to slam into the empty net from just a yard out.

Brown was judged to have been in an onside position, but Boswell disagrees with the officials’ verdict.

“For me, it’s offside,” she said. “I get it’s difficult in those situations with the ref and the lino trying to get a clear view when there’s so many bodies in the box. It’s disappointing because in this league, you do expect better from the officials.

“It’s one of those things, sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don’t. If the decision was for us then we’d have no complaints.

“Some decisions in the first half I don’t think were good enough. There was one in the opening few seconds that I think is a red card every single day. Our player [Princess Ademiluyi] is through on goal and she’s been brought down on the edge of the box.

“I know it’s the first 10 seconds and it’s such a big call to make in such a big game, but you go by rules of the game and it doesn’t matter what minute it is. I was just saying to the ref [Aimee Keir] ‘I think you owe us one’, and I think it ended up going against us.

“Sometimes you have games where you feel the ref is a little bit more on your side, and today wasn’t one of them days.”

Having fallen behind inside the first three minutes, the Blues responded well in front of a crowd of 9,142 supporters inside Portman Road.

Town got their deserved equaliser when Lucy Ashworth-Clifford met Sophie Peskett’s cutback midway through the half to score her second goal for the club.

Boswell said: “When things don’t go our way that early on in the game, it’s easy if you haven’t got the support there to let your head drop. The fact that we had so many people cheering us on definitely drove us forward.

“We started the game well, we were on the front foot and had the best chances. We started the first 20 minutes better than they did. We’d started the game better and it was just a little speed bump.

“We were going to get back in the game and we knew that. We didn’t let it affect us, that showed that we went on and got the equaliser.

“It’s quite hard to take considering it’s maybe our best performance of the season. The girls were excellent today from start to finish, especially in the second half we dominated. We had really good chances that you probably hope get put in the back of the net.

“It’s disappointing for the game to end like that when I don’t think it was deserved. That little moment at the end of the game has taken away all the work that we’ve put in this week.”

Boswell missed last season’s showcase fixture against Plymouth Argyle due to injury, and the Blues defender was pleased to be able to lead the side out on Suffolk soil for the first time this term.

“It was gutting last year the way it happened, getting injured three weeks before the Portman Road game,” she said. “One of the first thoughts that went through my head when I went down with my knee was that I was going to miss such a big occasion.

“To have the opportunity this year to walk the girls out at such an amazing stadium. I’ve been here for so many years now and watched so many games here, so it’s always a special moment to be on that pitch.

“It was a great moment and I was really pleased to have been able to do it this year.”

Portsmouth’s defeat at Sheffield United was a welcome scoreline and ensures the Blues remain outside of the relegation zone on goal difference with four matches to play.

Boswell added: “We’ve done the work to get ourselves out of that bottom spot. A couple more draws and hopefully a win in there in our last few games should see us through to the end of the season.

“We’re all feeling really positive, we’ve put in some good performances and we’re looking forward to the last few games and making sure we keep ourselves in this league.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.

Page:
1

Bazza8564 added 16:43 - Mar 28 I watched the game and thought for 94 minutes the ref was first class. Until the foul that never was and two silly yellows....
1

cardinaldom88 added 16:52 - Mar 28

Bazaa, I was at the game and have to disagree. The ref was, in my opinion, awful and seemed to want to be the main character on the day. Very much appeared to be leaning toward the coast liners today.

The number of times that town players were held or pulled back, was ridiculous, Princess particularly being grabbed.

I do agree about the ending, though, no foul and two ludicrous cards.

I’ll watch the replay to decide the offside.

armchaircritic59 added 16:53 - Mar 28

Bazza, I thought she was one of the best female referees I've seen! Which would explain why she was on Champions League duty midweek as an assistant. The " foul " never needed to be made, and the panicking defending after the free kick, led to the goal. Easy to blame officials for everything. 21 attempts on goal and the goal itself aside, just the one serious save for their keeper to make, it was a good one! The other 3 were very routine. The team have improved greatly over the past 3 months, best just to accept it and move on.

-6

armchaircritic59 added 17:06 - Mar 28

cardinaldom 88, if that's the case it's really interesting how someone watching a game live and someone watching a game at home, can see 2 very different refereeing performances. I try and judge ref performances as I do team ones ( no blue tinted specs, not accusing you of that! ). The game just flowed in my opinion. I hate refs that blow up for every little borderline decision. Much rather acknowledge that in letting the game flow, there'll be the odd decision now and then that may have been worthy of a foul but gets dismissed. Anyway, it's over, we've lost no ground on Portsmouth and are in a significantly better position then they are. If we blow it, it won't be down to todays referee.

-4

Scuzzer added 17:30 - Mar 28

Said to the wife at half time..." not a bad referee"
Wasn't the same opinion at the end of the game.
The Saints woman thought she would take up flying lessons.
Our wall was at least 12 yards away from the kick.
Brown was definitely in an offside position.
Shame the game was decided in that way...but we should have put our chances away. Had enough all through the game to winit comfortably.

trncbluearmy added 17:35 - Mar 28 Perhaps the person defending the awful, ref can talk me though way the defender who chopped down our atracker when clean through in the first minute was not sent off?
3

SuffolkPunchFC added 17:38 - Mar 28

I was there, and until the end of the game the referee was anonymous to me, until the very end. Which for me is a good sign - if you don't notice the ref, their not too involved.

Of course, the 93rd minute award of a soft free kick spoilt it, and the handling of the taking of the free kick was poor. This of course led to the winning goal, and an unfair result. The girls had the better of the game for most of it, and played very well at times.

I was the opposite end of the ground for their first goal, so can't comment on whether that was offside or not.

-2

cressi added 17:44 - Mar 28 Not the refs fault ipswich never performed second half if David Wright says that was the best performance since he came in it must have been pretty awful before.Apart from Pesskett and Princess putting herself about I didn't see much that impressed.
-4

BeachBlue added 17:45 - Mar 28

I was in the ground, west stand mid tier. The referee was awful, the foul on Princess in the first ten seconds was a red card offence. It makes no difference if it's 10 seconds in or 10 minutes left, a foul with the last defender preventing a clear goal scoring opportunity is a red card. Also did anyone see that Southampton coach making shushing signs at the crowd? I couldn't care if he does it to me , but do it yo under tens at the front of the stand is disgraceful.
Just my opinion.

armchaircritic59 added 17:54 - Mar 28 Blimey, it seems this week has bought out the outraged in everyone. I call everything as I see it, referees, players, managers, and yes CEO/Chairman you name it, no blue tinted specs either. I make no apologies for that. We will just have to differ on the ref's performance. What still holds true is that it's all in our hands, that's the important thing.
-1

jas0999 added 18:27 - Mar 28 The standard of referring is dreadful throughout football. We are not the only ones on the wrong side of really poor decisions. Even in the international arena, ref for the England game last night was utterly dreadful. Officials even get VAr decisions wrong. It’s atrocious it really is.
1

armchaircritic59 added 19:32 - Mar 28

Jas0999, now there at least you might be on to something. It's the same for everyone. Ref's get a split second to make decisions, some yes they call wrongly. VAR sometimes get 5 minutes and still can't get it right at times. Huge difference! It wasn't so long ago that posters in here were having a pop at the then Blackburn manager for a whinge fest about refereeing. it seems if tables have perceived to have been turned things like that get forgotten. Do I think officiating has improved over the years? Well I've been watching since 1963 and I'd say if it has, it's very little. Will they continue to make errors? Absolutely, just like me, they're human. Fortunately for me, when I make one, I don't have what can be several thousand people on my back thinking the world has ended.

Razor added 20:39 - Mar 28 I sat level with the incident in the first minute and was amazed she was not boked and sent off nearly had the shirt off her back and at the end the scorer running in front of the crowd laughing and gesticulating ruined everything
4

armchaircritic59 added 23:56 - Mar 28 Razor, in life I've always said the best answer to any perceived injustice is the next time you get the chance, well ram it straight back down their throats. And if by chance their isn't a next time, what goes around comes around, some call it Karma. They'll get what's due to them at some point.
1

DavefromWatford added 00:08 - Mar 29 I have just watched the highlights & we should have won that by a landslide with the chances we had. As for the late goal it was a harsh free kick given & was definitely offside because it deflected off one of their players to the scorer. (Fact). Armchaircritic i agree with you but both men & women could do with a bit of luck going their way. Lol.
0

victorysquad added 07:27 - Mar 29 I thought the same, most blatant red card in the first few minutes I have ever seen, how that was not given I will never know. That changed the game from the start as Soton then went and scored 2 mins later.
1

johnwarksshorts added 08:58 - Mar 29 I didn't see the match so I can't comment on the officials. I just think this will make the team stronger and more determined. Good luck for rest of season. I think you've improved a lot and will achieve objective of remaining in WSL 2.
0

blues1 added 13:24 - Mar 29

SuffolkpunchFC If you think the ref was anonymous, you clearly weren't watching the game. While she wasnt terrible, she missed all the major decisions, or got them wrong. Apart from the red card she should have given, ahe clearly saw Princess having her short pulled, later in 1st half, but no card. Southampton player threw the ball into the ground right in front of her in 2nd half, when decisiond didnt go her way. No card. Then it was member a,free kick at the end. Was simply a coming together. Yer she books 2 of our players. Cant blame her for the lack of a flag for the clear offside tho. Thats down to the linesman.

bluelodgeblue added 16:50 - Mar 29 Pesketts poor miss was crucial
0

cpaz97 added 16:56 - Mar 29

As a former referee myself, I thought she had an awful game. Was a clear strong yellow in first few seconds and arguably a red, but card wasn't given. Advantage wasn't signalled. Had it been , it should still have been at least a yellow, which means she didn't think it was a foul.

Referee was regularly pointing to goal kick or corner before the ball had even gone out of player and then withdrawing her hand signal, which was bizarre.

No yellows throughout game when Ipswich and Southampton players should have had nailed on bookings, and then suddenly two at end of game.

The Southampton Manager should have been booked at the end at the very least for taunting the fans. Absolutely pathetic from someone who looks like a poundshot Russell Martin

armchaircritic59 added 18:03 - Mar 29

cpaz97, interesting take and one I can respect coming from a former ref, not just a rant from someone who just thinks " we wuz robbed ". As I said above, what goes around comes around and if what you state is true, it will! The incident you mention at the end wasn't shown on TV. I thought Southampton celebrated like they'd just won the title, very odd! I also thought there was something familiar about their manager, now I know what it was!

DavefromWatford added 09:49 - Mar 30 cpaz97 like you i too was a referee so agree hold heartedly with everything you said. If she was a worthy Champions League Referee i am a Dutchman. (Not) Lol.
1

bugblatter added 15:55 - Mar 30 Just watched the highlights—not only was the winner offside, but the wall had been forced back about 12 yards, as opposed to 10. 10 yards is marked on the pitch from the penalty spot by the semi-circle, which the FK was taken from, therefore the wall should virtually level with the penalty spot…
0

cardinaldom88 added 16:04 - Mar 30

Armchair,

I always try to be as objective as possible as a fan. Although it’s very tough to not sound like sour grapes at times but I agree with another poster that refereeing standards appear to have dropped across the board.

I always like a flowing game of football, never really want to see the ref really but it felt like she wanted to ensure she was noticed. Including the escort off at the end of the game (not required). However, there were a number of times in the 2nd half when the town players were being blatantly held and neither the ref or assistant did anything.

I really felt that the Southampton players realised that they were going to be able to push boundaries and weren’t going to get pulled up.

Had the chance to briefly speak to Lucy Ashworth-Clifford at the end of the game and she was equally unimpressed in the officiating.