Ipswich Town Women hit double figures for a second consecutive week as they cruised into the next round of the FA Cup with a comprehensive 10-0 victory over Peterborough Northern Star at the Goldstar Ground in Felixstowe.
Natasha Thomas continued her excellent form by netting another four goals, with Amy-Leigh Abrehart, Georgia Allen, Zoe Barratt, Eloise King, Molly Sutherland and an own goal from Tilly Fantom completing the scoring on another outstanding afternoon for the Blues.
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After a scrappy opening five minutes, Town soon took control and broke the deadlock with another early goal. Thomas held the ball up well before playing into the path of Sutherland, who calmly controlled and curled over the head of Molly Bull.
Minutes later Thomas got on the scoresheet herself as she nodded home a loose ball through the fingertips of Bull after Peterborough had failed to clear Abrehart’s corner. Town quickly got their third after a lovely interchange between Sutherland And King, with the latter skipping past the goalkeeper and slotting into an open net following an intricate through-ball.
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Just a minute later it was four as Abrehart’s cross intended for Thomas was turned into her own net by the unfortunate Fantom. Soon the best goal of the afternoon arrived as Thomas got her second with a moment of real quality. Abrehart’s free-kick ricocheted into the path of Thomas, who instinctively rocketed a volley home from the edge of the area.
The Town forward claimed her second match ball in as many games shortly after as she rifled home a chance that she simply couldn’t miss after Abrehart’s pinpoint cross from the right.
It took the Tractor Girls until after the hour-mark to add to their already impressive tally as plethora of young players linked up. Sarah Brasero, who at 16 years and 48 days old became Town’s youngest-ever player when introduced as a second-half substitute, weaved through the Peterborough defence and played the ball across the area before Sutherland helped it into the path of the arriving Barratt, who made no mistake by slotting into the far corner for her second goal in as many games. Allen added the eighth a few minutes later as she turned home unmarked at the back-post from Peake’s dangerous corner. Four minutes later the largely impressive Abrehart capped off an excellent performance by bundling home a loose ball after Peterborough once again failed to clear their lines from a Peake set-piece.
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Finally in added-time the Tractor Girls struck one final time to make it back-to-back 10-0 victories as Thomas turned home Allen’s cross at the second time of asking.
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