Town Women close the gap in relegation fight with point against Magpies - European Football

Ipswich Town Women gained another important point against high-flying Newcastle United away from home this afternoon.

Beth Lumsden scored first for Newcastle with a brilliant goal in the seventh minute before Sophie Peskett equalised in the 41st minute.

Team news

January signing Colette Cavanagh started her first game in a Town shirt in midfield alongside Charlotte Fleming.

The other four January signings were all named on the bench for Town.

Town XI: Negri, Boswell (C) (Hughes,22), Peake, Wearing, Roe, Fleming (Ashworth-Clifford,45), Mitchell, Cavanagh, Peskett (Baker,83), O’Brien (Graham,73), Thomas (Dean,73)

Newcastle XI: Tamminen, Wardlaw, Nobbs, Purfield, Pike, Gregory (Sevenius,63), Torpey (Stokes,63), McQuade (Joel,45), Mannion (C), Lumsden, Murphy (Hales,63)

One way traffic

Newcastle were on the front foot from kick-off, with a number of opportunities early doors to take the lead.

That’s what they did in the seventh minute as Lumsden skipped past a couple of markers on the right wing before aiming to cross the ball but it turned into a spectacular shot which looped over the head of Natalie Negri into the net.

Newcastle nearly had a second on the half-hour mark with Emily Murphy taking aim after a good passing move but Negri was able to make the stop well with her left foot.

Drawing level

It was backs against the wall for the majority of the first half for Town but, in the 42nd minute, Peskett equalised for the Tractor Girls.

Lucy O’Brien picked up the ball on the halfway line and carried it forward, driving inside, before laying it off to Peskett, who took the ball and sent her defender to the ground to step inside and finish calmly beyond the keeper.

This sparked Town into life, and it was a much more even affair for the remainder of the half.

Even second half

Neither team really had any opportunities of note in the second half, with both teams giving up possession quite easily.

Town nearly took home the three points in the 93rd minute after a great through ball from Kit Graham found Rianna Dean, who had Lucy Ashworth-Clifford to her left but decided to take the shot on and Anna Tamminen was able to save the effort.

That was the final chance of the game and Town picked up a huge point which closes the gap on Portsmouth, who they face next.

They are now just three points behind Pompey, with a game in hand. They travel to the south coast a week today, for what is a huge relegation six-pointer.