Slazenger Women's EHLPremier DivisionOld Loughtonians 1 Ipswich 5 Ipswich home five goals for the second week running as they demolished Old Loughtonians 5-1.

Slazenger Women's EHL

Premier Division

Old Loughtonians 1 Ipswich 5

Ipswich home five goals for the second week running as they demolished Old Loughtonians 5-1.

Continuing the number five sequence the win moved the Suffolk side to fifth place in the table.

For the first time this season Ipswich coach Royce Waters had a full squad of 16 to chose from and the result shows what a difference it made.

It is also even more encouraging for the Suffolk team when you take into account the fact that two starting line up players, Kirsten Spencer (calf injury) and Jo Ellis (GB game) were not able to play.

Ipswich started the game well but the home side, urged on by their vocal coach, earned an early short corner as the visitors initially struggled to adjust to the muddy and bouncy pitch.

The Essex side did manage to find the back of the Ipswich goal but the whistle had gone for an earlier foul and the next corner was comfortably dealt with by the Ipswich defence.

The let off seemed to kick start the visitors and Ipswich began to dominate the play, with the home side looking more and more uncomfortable on the ball.

Sure enough, in the sixth minute, Ipswich opened the scoring through a fantastic goal by ex-Loughtonian's player Jenny Hall.

Hall was fed a great through ball by Jess Bloom and then made no mistake as she rounded the home side's keeper with ease.

It was Hall's first goal of the season in only her second game back after breaking her collarbone in the summer.

The home side initially looked shell shocked and Ipswich now began to increase the pressure, forcing the keeper into several good saves but not finding that vital final shot.

Having regained some composure Loughts began to resort to a long ball tactic, hoping that the bouncy pitch would catch out the Ipswich defence and their basic approach almost paid off.

A bobbling ball bypassed the visitors defence and a goal hanging Loughtonians player was first to react and headed for goal.

Showing a calm composure Ipswich's keeper Charlotte Lee-Smith refused to be rushed into a rash reaction and was duly rewarded as she saved the well struck shot and watched it cannon off her body for a long corner.

With the chance gone the home side paid the price as, in the 26th minute, Lizzy Aldous made it 2-0 to Ipswich.

A great reverse stick shot by Sarah Tallent was only parried by the keeper and Aldous was on hand to tap it over the line and score her third goal of the season.

Despite some good opportunities to extend their lead, Ipswich came off at half time only 2-0 up and were keen to extend their league.

Within three minutes of the restart Ipswich got what they wanted as Hall bagged her second with a screamer of a shot that left the keeper with no chance.

Hall was terrorizing the home side's defence every time she got the ball and claimed her well deserved hat-trick in the 49th minute to make it 4-0 to a rampant Ipswich team.

Disappointingly for Ipswich, Old Loughts did manage to pull a goal back, ex-Ipswich player Louise Jukes with an easy tap in after a short corner was initially saved on the post but not cleared.

However, the home sides renewed belief only lasted four minutes before Emma Lee-Smith hit the goal of the game and probably the whole season.

An initial shot was saved and cleared by the keeper to the top right of the circle where an on rushing Lee-Smith unleashed an undercut strike of such venom that it had hit the underside of the cross bar and dropped into the back of the goal before the keeper had moved.

It was a fitting final goal to end the game and, despite a late yellow card for Lizzy Aldous, the result was never in doubt.

Ipswich now move to within two points of third place, while Loughts remain second bottom in the relegation play-off spot.

Next weekend the Suffolk team face two tough home games as they host fourth placed Canterbury on Saturday and Essex rivals Chelmsford on Sunday.

With only three points separating the teams and the likelihood of availability of the England players these will be hard fought games but Ipswich will be aiming to continue their winning run.