Town skipper Amanda Crump netted a last minute winner as Town beat Actonians 3-2 at the Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe, on Sunday to confirm a third league win in the space of seven days.
The Tractor Girls had led 2-0 thanks to goals from in-form duo Sophie Peskett and Natasha Thomas but the Middlesex side responded with two late goals through Jennifer Laidlaw and Caroline Bisson before Crump stifled the comeback with a composed finished in the final moments of the match.
The Blues took an early lead as teenage sensation Peskett netted her third goal in as many games. Thomas whipped the ball in for Crump, whose blocked shot fell perfectly into the path of Peskett and she obliged by burying the ball beyond visiting goalkeeper Naomi Swift. Town were well on top early on but Actonians weren't lying down and could have been level soon after but Bisson was denied excellently one-on-one by Leonie Jackson in the Ipswich net. The pendulum continued to swing in the first-half as both sides had chances to add to the scoring but neither team were able to threaten the respective goalkeeper at both ends.
The Blues started strong after the restart and could have doubled their advantage moments later but after being sent through by Zoe Cossey, Thomas saw her snap-shot well blocked by Swift. Town did find a second goal not long after the hour-mark as Thomas scored her second goal of the week in great style. After receiving the ball on the right-side of the area, she beat her defender with several step-overs before firing high above Swift to make it 2-0 to the Tractor Girls. Three minutes later Thomas could have had her second of the afternoon but after once again beating the Actonians defence with excellent footwork, she was denied by the crossbar.
Actonians got themselves back into the game seven minutes from time as Laidlaw got in behind the Ipswich defence and fired across Jackson to make it 2-1. Town would soon hit the woodwork again as the continually impressive Peskett cut in from the left and unleashed a rocket towards goal but the crossbar came to the aid of the visitors. The Blues were then punished for a lapse in concentration two minutes from time as Molly Sutherland was dispossessed in midfield by Rhiannon Ishmael, who then played the ball forward for Bisson to subsequently cut inside past Lindsey Cooper and curl the ball into the top-right corner.
However, straight from resulting kickoff, Town worked the ball forward excellently to substitute Zoe Barratt, who picked out Crump with a pinpoint through ball and the Town skipper turned home unmarked from six-yards to quash the visitors response.
The result sees Joe Sheehan's side move level on points with league leaders Billericay Town but remain second on goal difference.
The Tractor Girls return to action this Sunday at home to AFC Sudbury in the first-round of the Suffolk FA Women's Cup.
Town: Jackson (GK), Pannifer, Cooper, Peake, Hubbard, Wakefield (Sutherland), Wilson, Crump (c), Cossey (Biggs), Peskett, Thomas (Barratt).
Unused: Clarke (GK), Egan.
The Blues took an early lead as teenage sensation Peskett netted her third goal in as many games. Thomas whipped the ball in for Crump, whose blocked shot fell perfectly into the path of Peskett and she obliged by burying the ball beyond visiting goalkeeper Naomi Swift. Town were well on top early on but Actonians weren't lying down and could have been level soon after but Bisson was denied excellently one-on-one by Leonie Jackson in the Ipswich net. The pendulum continued to swing in the first-half as both sides had chances to add to the scoring but neither team were able to threaten the respective goalkeeper at both ends.
The Blues started strong after the restart and could have doubled their advantage moments later but after being sent through by Zoe Cossey, Thomas saw her snap-shot well blocked by Swift. Town did find a second goal not long after the hour-mark as Thomas scored her second goal of the week in great style. After receiving the ball on the right-side of the area, she beat her defender with several step-overs before firing high above Swift to make it 2-0 to the Tractor Girls. Three minutes later Thomas could have had her second of the afternoon but after once again beating the Actonians defence with excellent footwork, she was denied by the crossbar.
Actonians got themselves back into the game seven minutes from time as Laidlaw got in behind the Ipswich defence and fired across Jackson to make it 2-1. Town would soon hit the woodwork again as the continually impressive Peskett cut in from the left and unleashed a rocket towards goal but the crossbar came to the aid of the visitors. The Blues were then punished for a lapse in concentration two minutes from time as Molly Sutherland was dispossessed in midfield by Rhiannon Ishmael, who then played the ball forward for Bisson to subsequently cut inside past Lindsey Cooper and curl the ball into the top-right corner.
However, straight from resulting kickoff, Town worked the ball forward excellently to substitute Zoe Barratt, who picked out Crump with a pinpoint through ball and the Town skipper turned home unmarked from six-yards to quash the visitors response.
The result sees Joe Sheehan's side move level on points with league leaders Billericay Town but remain second on goal difference.
The Tractor Girls return to action this Sunday at home to AFC Sudbury in the first-round of the Suffolk FA Women's Cup.
Town: Jackson (GK), Pannifer, Cooper, Peake, Hubbard, Wakefield (Sutherland), Wilson, Crump (c), Cossey (Biggs), Peskett, Thomas (Barratt).
Unused: Clarke (GK), Egan.
