6 views from Town Women’s first league match at Portman Road

Ipswich Town Women won their maiden league game at Portman Road, defeating Chatham Town 5-0. Alex Jones comments on the game.

A special occasion

We were all aware that this would be a memorable occasion, but no one could have predicted how fantastic it would be.

From start to finish, the club did everything possible to recreate a men’s matchday. This included pre-match press briefings, a crowded FanZone, and a coach welcome. The Tractor Girls warmed up to the same music we hear every week at Portman Road, with Faithless’ ‘Insomnia’ blasting as they stepped onto the pitch.

All of this happened in front of 10,173 fans, which was just wonderful. That figure is a record for any team in the history of the Women’s National League South, and according to @fpl_tractor on X, it was the third highest English attendance of the day, trailing only the Men’s England team against Brazil at Wembley Stadium and Manchester City Women against Manchester United Women at the Etihad.

Following the game, the players walked around the ground, taking photos and signing autographs for young fans who were enthralled by what they had seen.

The entire event could not have gone better, and it was clear how much it meant to all involved.

Putting on a show

Joe Sheehan stated that he did not spend too much time thinking about the outcome of the game. Of course, his duty is to win matches, but the most important thing today was to put on a nice show for the fans in attendance.

After all, the men’s team has been praised as one of the most exciting in English football, and their attendance has surged as a result. Everyone talks about them because they are so entertaining to watch, and Sheehan wants to use the same approach.

It certainly showed on the pitch, albeit it took some time for them to get going. Fans went crazy when Natasha Thomas scored midway through the first half, and Sophie Peskett extended the lead shortly after. Thomas scored twice after the break, and Lenna Gunning-Williams and Summer Hughes completed a decisive win.

Sheehan chose the fourth goal as his favourite, as it defines what he wants his team to be. A defence-splitting through pass was followed by a silky backheel, and the finish was magnificent.

It had to be her

If anyone could open the scoring for the Tractor Girls in one of their most important games in recent memory, it had to be Thomas.

The 28-year-old is one of the elder players on a very young squad, with an average age of roughly 21. She has played with Ipswich since 2015 and has scored nearly 150 goals in just over 200 outings.

Many people who don’t follow the women’s team recognize her, and Sheehan was pleased to see her overcome some special obstacles to shine on the big stage.

“It’s interesting because sometimes her involvement can look like it’s quite limited based on who we’re playing against,” he said after the game. “Due to the quantity of people on the pitch, there isn’t always enough room for her.

“We frequently find that our two center-backs are under little pressure and appear to have plenty of time and space. Obviously, as Tash goes closer to the opponent goal, she has less time, less room, and more opposition players around her.

“At times, it’s difficult for her to choose when she can participate in the game and connect with other players on the pitch.

“We know that if we can get her the ball in and around the box, she’s scored some really good goals this season and racked up a good tally, and I’m so pleased that she’s managed to get a good strike off to get us off the mark.”

An eye-catching talent

Peskett may not have been chosen Player of the Match, but she was one of the game’s most impressive performers. Her driving runs down the right wing pulled spectators out of their seats; she was full of energy and attacked with real intensity.

When I initially saw her play, I immediately thought of the renowned Dutch attacker Arjen Robben. The 21-year-old enjoys taking on her full-back, cutting inside, and curling a shot on goal. She struggled to score from those positions in the win over Chatham, but she did strike the back of the net with an outstanding run into the box.

The ball adhered to her like glue, allowing her to dance past three defenders and slot it into the bottom left corner. It was the highlight of her fantastic performance, and Sheehan was overjoyed with what she accomplished on the field.

“Sophie was good,” he said. We know what she’s capable of – she’s a constant threat every week.

“She’s unpredictable, she’s got great end product, and she’s electric when she gets going.

“I’m sure she’ll be really pleased with her performance as well.”

A cameo to cherish

Eloise King is Ipswich through and through. She has been a lifelong supporter of the club, attending men’s games and contributing to the club’s foundation whenever possible. There was a lot of excitement when she got her first professional contract in 2021, but things haven’t been simple for her.

The midfielder has had a lot of injuries and last played for the Tractor Girls on the final day of the season. They revealed that she will miss the start of the season due to an unexplained back issue, but her absence lasted longer than expected.

It was surprising to see her selected to the bench, but Sheehan stated that she had been working on a comeback for this game.

“It was important that we got her involved today,” he said. “She’s been out for a long time and has had a terrible few years, to be honest.

“She’s been back training with us for a few weeks, and she valued the opportunity to gain experience today.

“We’re glad the game allowed us to incorporate her and put her on, because she’ll be very proud. She presumably started coming here before she could walk.

“She can come here now forever knowing that she got the chance to play here and get a nice little cameo, because it was important that she got that.”

Looking forward to the future

Town CEO Mark Ashton was called out on the pitch to announce the final attendance, but he also took the opportunity to discuss the Tractor Girls and their future ambitions.

The Women’s National League South is a high level – the third tier, in fact – but the players continue to balance football with their full-time jobs. Ashton believes that the next phase is to get promotion to the Championship and establish a viable club at that level, which Sheehan concurs with.

Last season, they came close to winning the title but fell short due to goal differential. Even so, that would not have secured promotion, and the regulations have been amended this season such that the league champions get promoted while the two second-placed teams from the North and South divisions compete for third place.

Of course, the ultimate goal is the Women’s Super League. The infrastructure and funding are definitely there to achieve that level in the future, but patience will be required.

This is still a team that plays in front of 400 or 500 people each week at the AGL Arena in Felixstowe. They need all of the help they can get to continue growing in the next years. With such a youthful and intriguing roster, there’s no reason they can’t.

Hopefully, the game at Portman Road will serve as a springboard for larger and better things down the way.