National League Southern Premier leaders Ipswich Town made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the Women’s FA Cup and selling out the Goldstar Ground for the visit of Women’s Super League side, West Ham United.
The Tractor Girls previous encounter against WSL opposition was a fifth round tie away to Manchester City which saw them fall to a 10-0 defeat. Paige Peake, Abi Lafayette, Anna Grey and Natasha Thomas who all featured in that defeat were again in the starting line up.
West Ham United asserted early dominance with Fillis firing over and Houssein forcing the Ipswich Town keeper, Sarah Quantrill into a smart save on the bottom corner of the goal.
It was Lucy Parker’s turn next, she headed down from a corner but Quantrill was alert to the bounce, tipping it onto the crossbar before her defence was able to clear.
Ipswich spent much of the half without the ball but knew that they had quality and pace on the break through Natasha Thomas and Anna Grey.
However it was Lucy Evans who broke the deadlock in the thirty-first minute pocking home from a superb through ball.
Ipswich Town didn’t panic and were able to go into half time with just the one-goal deficit which more than meant that they were well in the game.
The second half lacked any real opportunities in front of goal but the visitors were also unable to create too many meaningful chances and that is how the game finished. There was much to be proud of from everyone involved at Ipswich Town, from the coaching staff, to the fans, players and volunteers who all made this a day to remember.
Ipswich Town: Quantrill, Hughes, Peake, Smith, Lafayette, Grey (Egan 46), Horwood © (Flores 60), Robertson (King 60), O’Brien, Barratt (Biggs 77), Thomas (Brasero-Carreira 73)
Subs not used: Jackson, Boswell, Hubbard, Bryant
West Ham United: Arnold, Fisk ©, Parker, Cissoko (Flaherty 73), Wyne, Joel (Hasegawa 66), Houssein (Yallop 73), Stringer, Filis (Brynjarsdóttir 66), Evans (Longhurst 90), Walker
Subs not used: Leat (GK), Svitková, Leon, Garrad
Referee: Amy Fearn
Attendance: 2,000
Photo: @WestHamWomen
