Town Women Made to Wait After Defeat to Watford Sunday, 6th Apr 2025 17:40 by Matt Makin Ipswich Town Women will have to wait to confirm the FAWNL Southern Premier Division title and promotion to the Women’s Championship after suffering only their second league defeat this season to Watford, Maddie Perry’s 64th-minute goal condemning the Blues to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip. Blues manager Joe Sheehan made one change from the side that won 2-0 against Gwalia United at the Martello Ground last Sunday with Maisy Barker replacing Summer Hughes. Defender Megan Wearing had returned early from international duty with Scotland’s U23s to play in the match. Town skipper Maria Boswell, out with a knee injury since the loss away to Hashtag United in March, was observed warming up with the matchday squad before the game. Former Town loanee Isabella Fisher, who was recalled by parent club Arsenal earlier in the season and then loaned out to Watford, started for the hosts. There was a frenetic start to the game with both teams attempting to create chances early on. After six minutes, the Golden Girls carved out the first attempt, with a speculative shot from distance going wide. A few minutes later, the hosts drove down the left but the resulting cross went straight to Town stopper Natalia Negri. On 13, Town were on the attack, Ruby Doe releasing Barker down the left to drive to the byline and win a corner. Lucy O’Brien sent a low delivery to Sophie Peskett, whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected wide for a second set piece. This time, O’Brien sent the ball deep into the area but Watford were able to clear and then counter, only to be caught offside. In the 17th minute, Watford almost went through but a scuffed shot went straight to Negri. The Town keeper then went long to Barker who played through O’Brien on the left, but her cross went straight to the hands of Watford keeper Hermione Cull. Shortly after, Peskett made one of her trademark bursts into the box but couldn’t keep the ball in play. On 21 Ipswich won a corner outside the box and to the left of goal. O’Brien’s deep delivery found Peskett but her flick on was straight at Cull. There was little more action of note until 33 when Watford were awarded a free-kick not too far from Town’s area, but Gemma Davison’s low delivery bounced off O’Brien’s shins before the Blues were able to clear the ball. Two minutes later, Watford broke into Town’s box and Ellie Head smashed an effort straight at Negri, who pushed the ball out for a corner. The resulting set piece found Coral Haines in the box but her shot was high and wide. Three minutes before the scheduled end of the half, Peskett carried the ball from the halfway line but her through ball into the Watford box didn’t find a blue shirt and rolled straight to Cull. Moments later, Anne Meiwald made an attempt from distance that went wide. In the first minute of added on time, Ipswich almost opened the scoring when Natasha Thomas drove forward and then larruped the ball towards goal, her effort cannoning off the underside of the crossbar and rattling the goal frame. The follow-up effort won the visitors a corner which Watford successfully defended, with the referee signalling for half-time straight after. Ipswich started the second half brightly and looked to press high and break the deadlock. Two minutes after the restart, there was a stoppage for Megan Chandler to receive treatment, the Watford defender pulling up after straining to stop the ball go out of play. On 53 Town had another corner which O’Brien sent sailing towards Wearing on the opposite side, the defender being harried towards the touchline before the ball was forced out for a throw. Soon after, Leah Mitchell’s throw found Ella Rutherford in a promising position in the box, but her shot through the crowd was comfortably claimed by Cull. Moments later, another Blues corner found Thomas at the back post but the striker could only head wide of goal. In the 63rd minute, Town were on the attack again, midfielder Kyra Robertson winning the ball in the middle of the park before threading it towards goal Peskett on the right, but her cutback to Rutherford in the box was intercepted by the home defence. A minute later, Watford took the lead. Flo Fyfe latched onto a bouncing ball and was able to take it round Barker before flicking it on to an onrushing Perry, who was able to lift the ball over the oncoming Negri to open the scoring. Once ahead, Watford took control of the game and Town struggled to regain momentum. On 67 Watford won a corner, which was delayed for Town midfielder Doe to receive treatment. When the kick was eventually taken, Negri was able to punch clear before her defence mopped up the ball. A few minutes later there was a further stoppage for Wearing to receive treatment after a collision in the box. As the game moved into its final quarter of an hour, Town had another corner, O’Brien and Rutherford playing a short routine before the former sent the ball into the box for Cull to come out and claim. On 77 Sheehan made his first personnel change, Rutherford departing for Ruby Seaby. The youngster, who recently signed from Arsenal, looked to make an immediate impact, skipping through the hosts’ defence before being clipped and winning a free-kick, which Grace Garrad sent straight into Cull’s hands. Six minutes from the end, Sheehan made a triple sub, Doe, O’Brien and Wearing making way for Ellie Bowyer, Lucy Watson and Hughes. As the clock wound down, Ipswich pushed for an equaliser, keeping the pressure on but were unable to break Watford’s resolute defending. In the 90th minute Town won a free-kick 25 yards out and central to goal, but Garrad’s effort was comfortably over the bar. Watford were then able to see the game out, the home fans noisily celebrating the final whistle. In what was expected to be a tough game - Watford are the only team to have taken a point off the Blues at the Martello Stadium this season - Ipswich were not quite as clinical as usual and were uncharacteristically loose in possession at the back, which Watford were able to exploit for a well worked goal just after the hour mark. Otherwise, there was very little else to separate the two teams and Town shaded the game for most of the first half and the start of the second. With title rivals Hashtag United not playing this weekend, Ipswich remain top of the league by three points with two games remaining. Town travel to basement team MK Dons next weekend, who they dispatched 13-0 in the league at Felixstowe earlier this season and 12-0 in the Adobe Women's FA Cup the following week.  Despite the disappointing result, Ipswich remain in the driving seat in the league. A win for the Blues against the Dons would all but confirm the title and promotion with a game to go regardless of results elsewhere as Hashtag would only be able to match Town’s point total and the Blues currently have a significantly better goal difference than the Tags, currently by 27 goals. A minimum of four points from this and the final game of the season, at home to Cheltenham, would see the Blues lift the FAWNL Southern Premier League trophy outright and claim promotion, with Hashtag also facing stern challenges in the form of Exeter City and Oxford United in their run in. Town: Negri, Mitchell, Wearing (Hughes 84), Garrad, Barker, Robertson, Doe (Bowyer 84), Peskett, Rutherford (Seaby 77), O’Brien (Watson 84), Thomas. Unused: Hartley, Williams. Att: 360.
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