Suffolk Girls’ and Women’s League Cup Final Ipswich Town Ladies Development Squad 0 East Bergholt 0 (aet, Town won 5-4 on penalties) Ipswich Town Ladies Development Squad battled their way to success in the Suffolk Girls’ and Women’s League Cup, as they overcame East Bergholt in the final at Woodbridge Town FC, writes Tom Mortlock.
After the match had finished 0-0 following extra-time, Town eventually won it 5-4 in a nervy penalty shoot-out.
Ipswich had marginally the better of the first half but their opponents still posed a threat, often with pace on the counter-attack. Jodie Sharp went closest for East Bergholt in the opening 45 minutes, striking straight into the arms of Town keeper Teodora Kodova from long-range.
The Blues’ most presentable opportunity of the half fell the way of Sophie Leming with half an hour gone. Having originally slipped in Grace Bowman down the left, the ball was played back into her path, but her attempted shot did not have the desired connection.
After the interval, the game opened up slightly, but still neither side could find the breakthrough.
With an hour played, Emily Steward’s cross was swept towards goal by Town striker Sian Cottrell, but her effort was well kept out by the legs of East Bergholt keeper Cameron Hogg.
Ipswich came even closer to taking the lead as the match moved into next-goal-wins territory. Tayler Cooke’s free-kick was only half-cleared before Cat Upton’s follow up somehow stayed out, having been turned away off the line by a combination of East Bergholt defenders.
As the Blues began to ramp up the pressure in the closing stages of normal time, East Bergholt could have won the cup themselves.
Sharp burst away from the defence but could not get her shot in, before Jess Oxlade was called offside.
Extra-time passed without much goal-mouth action and consequently the cup final would be decided by spot-kicks. At 4-4 after five penalties each, Cooke scored Town’s sixth penalty, meaning that Cara Savage had to score to keep her side in it. Kodova tipped her strike onto the bar to win it for Ipswich.
The development squad can be very pleased with their season, as they completed the double with this cup win, having already secured the league title recently.
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