Women’s National League Actonians 1 Ipswich Town 5 Ipswich Town F.C Women responded from last week’s disappointing defeat to Crawley with a resounding 5-1 victory over Actonians at Rectory Park on Sunday, writes Kieren Standley.
Ipswich Town F.C Women responded from last week’s disappointing defeat to Crawley with a resounding 5-1 victory over Actonians at Rectory Park on Sunday.
Second-half goals from Zoe Cossey, Laken Duchar-Clark, Nicole Pannifer, Natasha Thomas and Paige Wakefield saw Carla Dickinson’s side to an emphatic victory despite being a goal down at the break.
Town dominated the early exchanges with Cossey and Thomas both going close in the first fifteen minutes. However, despite being well on top it was the home side that took the lead. Mariko Engels capitalised on a mistake by Town defender Lindsey Cooper, burst through one-on-one and calmly slotted home past debutant Ipswich keeper’ Emily Goodacre.
To their credit, Town responded well and were unlucky not to be level soon after as Natalie Richardson latched on to an exquisite long ball from Jordan Arnoup but saw her driven effort from distance cannon off the crossbar. Actonians would provide one last scare for the Blues as Carla Williams broke free but Cooper got back to make a strong last-ditch tackle to prevent the home side doubling their advantage.
Town finally equalized just after the hour-mark with an unlikely scorer bringing them level. Cossey cut the ball back for the arriving full-back Pannifer, who cut in onto her right foot and curled excellently into the far corner. Three minutes later and Town were in front as the outstanding Cossey bagged herself a trademark goal - cutting in from the left and unleashing a stunning strike into the top-right corner.
The floodgates now started to open and it wasn’t long before Ipswich got their third. Thomas held the ball up and played it into the path of substitute Wakefield, who burst through and calmly tucked the ball into the corner for her first Ipswich Town goal since signing from C&K Basildon this summer.
Wakefield was at the heart of the action for the Blues’ fourth as she was bundled to the floor in the area following Richardson’s corner. Thomas stepped up and blasted the ball straight down the middle for her first goal of the new campaign.
Town capped off their scintillating second-half in the final moments as another summer arrival, Duchar-Clark, headed home Cassie Craddock’s corner for her first goal for the club since also joining from C&K Basildon this summer.
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