East Premier A Wapping 0 Ipswich 1 A professional and disciplined team performance by Ipswich saw them take a well deserved 1-0 win from their away encounter with Wapping and set up the chance to win the league title in their next match.
The match started at a good tempo with Ipswich having the better of the early exchanges, and then the home team had a good five minute spell. However on the ninth minute Ipswich’s striker Lizzy Wheelhouse scored the goal of the season.
Coming off the bench Wheelhouse stole the ball off a Wapping defender, then linked well with player of the match Kat Blake and hit a sublime reverse stick strike into the top corner of the goal.
Wapping looked stunned and Ipswich grew in confidence. Fellow striker Chloe Williams then had a good chance saved by the home team’s keeper. Despite more pressure Ipswich could not find a second goal and defenders Kristine Ayling and Ellie Scott had to be alert to make some good tackles and snuff out the Wapping threat.
Half-time arrived with Ipswich feeling confident that they had more goals in them and sure enough Williams had the ball in the net, but the umpire had already blown for a penalty corner.
Ipswich kept knocking on the door and some great play by co-captain Lucy Dunnett won a series of penalty corners but Wapping defended them well.
With time ticking on Ipswich looked more and more comfortable and when Wapping received an upgraded yellow card with four minutes to go the Suffolk side controlled the game well until the final whistle blew.
The only blot on the result was a nasty facial injury to India Goodman in the final minutes. The 18-year-old was extremely brave but is a real doubt for the remaining games.
News then filtered in that second place City of Peterborough had lost to West Herts and Ipswich now sit eight points clear at the top of the table with three games left to play.
So, weather permitting, Ipswich welcome West Herts to Tuddenham Road on Saturday, knowing a win would seal the league title and promotion back to the National League.
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