Team news
New permanent Town manager David Wright named Canadian international Lysianne Proulx in the starting eleven for the first time, with the former Juventus keeper starting ahead of Natalia Negri.
That was the only change to the side that dispatched Sheffield United 4-1 in Colchester mid-week.
Town XI: Proulx, Boswell (C), Peake, Weir, Roe, Cavanagh, Mitchell, Peskett (Neville,79), Graham (Thomas,79), Ashworth-Clifford (Las,63), Ademiluyi (Dean,63)
Stunning the leaders
After needing to do some early defending, it was Town who shocked the league leaders, taking the lead in the sixth minute through Spurs loanee Kit Graham.
She let fly with her left boot from just outside the area, and the ball flew into the far corner.
Ipswich doubled their lead in the 13th minute through Princess Ademiluyi, who rose highest to win the ball from a corner, and headed into the net after a scramble.
Just two minutes later, Graham scored her second and Town’s third. Again, she was given the freedom of Birmingham and struck the ball with her left, watching it fly past the keeper.
Town cooled off after this, and there was little of note for the remainder of the half, other than a Birmingham effort which rebounded off the crossbar.
Protecting the lead
Birmingham remained the team on top, but they were unable to break down the stubborn Town defence.
The home side had to resort to efforts from range to get near the goal, but none of them troubled Proulx in the Ipswich net.
Kenzie Weir kept the clean sheet with two goal-line clearances, the first stopping a close-range header with her feet and the second using her head to stop a volley.
Securing safety
That is Town’s WSL2 status confirmed for next season. Town just needed to better Portsmouth’s result today, and they did that, beating the league leaders while Pompey lost to Nottingham Forest.
The results mean that Town are now six points from bottom with just one to play, moving the team up to ninth in the league.
The Tractor Girls will finish their season at home to Sunderland on Saturday, May 2 at 3pm.