Ipswich Town moved three points clear of the WSL2 relegation zone by winning their game in hand against Sheffield United 4-1 at the JobServe Community Stadium. Unless Portsmouth win one of their remaining two matches, the result will ensure the Suffolk side will be playing second-tier football again next season.

Tonight's match had originally been scheduled to be played in mid-February but was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. A month earlier, Sheffield United had travelled to Felixstowe and won 2-1 away to Town, knocking them out of the Women's FA Cup. The Blades had also won the league meeting between the sides at Bramall Lane 3-2.

Ipswich Town were unchanged from the side that lost to Crystal Palace in their previous match 17 days ago.

Sheffield United began the evening in ninth position in WSL2, four points ahead of Ipswich, but not quite safe from relegation themselves. Nevertheless, the Yorkshire side began the match by passing the ball around confidently despite the home side's energetic harrying.

Their pacy striker Amy Andrews had the first shot of the match in the opening minutes, taking advantage of a mistake by Maria Boswell to cut in from the left and fire just wide of the far post. However, that was as close as they came during a tight first half. It was the home side who created all the opportunities.

In the seventh minute, Sophie Peskett had Ipswich's first shot on target, firing straight at Blades goalkeeper Sian Rogers.

Nine minutes later, Kit Graham pressurised the visitors’ backline into a loose pass before releasing Lucy Ashworth-Clifford on the left of the penalty area. The left winger cut inside Simone Sherwood but Rogers parried her right-footed shot.

Princess Ademiluyi instigated an attack which eventually resulted in her heading wide of the near post from Boswell's right-wing cross. Ademiluyi then flicked on a long kick by keeper Natalia Negri to release Peskett, who slashed her shot high and wide from a tight angle under pressure from her marker.

This led to a prolonged period of Town pressure which culminated with another good chance. Defender Kenzie Weir sent a long ball forward which was cleverly flicked on by Graham on the edge of the area. Midfielder Colette Cavanagh ran beyond her to poke a shot towards the top corner but narrowly missed the target. 

It looked as though the sides would go in at the interval level but the Blues saved their best for a frenzied four minutes in first-half stoppage time.

Graham capped her impressive opening period by volleying a shot at Rogers' goal from almost 40 yards. Ademiluyi then might have done better from Bethan Roe's pinpoint left-wing cross.

In the final minute of stoppage time, Ademiluyi nodded back an Ashworth-Clifford free-kick to Peskett, who crashed a shot against the crossbar. Weir nodded the rebound goalwards only for Rogers to push the ball around the post.

From the resultant corner, Weir finally headed past Rogers and into the net to earn the home side the goal which their pressure merited.

Six minutes after the break, Ademiluyi once more created panic in the opposition defence when chasing Cavanagh's long pass forward. Rogers came out of her goal but mistimed her clearance which fell straight to Peskett, who had the simple task of side-footing the ball past the prone goalkeeper and into an unguarded net to make it 2-0.

Peskett then went on another trademark, surging run down the right wing. Rogers pushed out her shot straight to Ademiluyi, whose attempt on target was blocked on the line by Emma Taylor.

It took until the 66th minute for Sheffield United to seriously threaten the home side. The impressive Andrews ran at Boswell once again, cut inside and it took a flying tackle from Cavanagh to deflect her shot past Negri's near post.

Two minutes later, a clever shot by Charlie Devlin from the edge of the area had Negri beaten, but hit the far post.

It was a decisive moment as a minute later Boswell moved forward onto a loose ball following another Town attack. The captain then caressed the ball into the top corner of Rogers' goal from 20 yards out for a picture-book goal.

In the 71st minute Devlin finally forced Negri into a save with a snap-shot following a quick free-kick. From the corner, Devlin seized upon Ipswich's failure to clear the ball to fire into the net through a crowded goalmouth.

Any thoughts of a comeback were immediately put to bed when Graham released Peskett down the right. The winger did magnificently to cut inside two defenders before beating Rogers with a reserve angle finish at her near post. 

This emphatic win moves Ipswich Town up to 10th position in WSL2, above Durham and one point behind Sheffield United.

Ipswich Town's two remaining matches are away to top-of-the-table Birmingham City, before a home game against Sunderland on the last day of the WSL2 season.

Their victory tonight means that bottom of the table Portsmouth must win one of their two games to avoid relegation. Ipswich Town look very close to safety.

Ipswich Town: Negri; Boswell, Peake, Weir, Roe; Mitchell, Cavanagh (Thomas 92); Peskett, Graham, Ashworth-Clifford (Baker 78), Ademiluyi (Dean 78).

Sheffield United: Rogers; Cowan (Thomas 58), Sherwood, Taylor, Lafayette; Kinzett; Butler, Rouse, Devlin, O'Rourke (Hill 81); Andrews.

Photo: ITFC/Matchday Images