Midfielder Rania Oukriss converted from the penalty spot to put us ahead in the first half, but the Tractor Girls were much improved after the break, turning the contest in their favour with two goals in the space of four minutes – Ava Munnings and Katie O’Shea on target to make it 2-1 with 65 minutes played.
We pushed for a leveller in the closing stages but that created space for the visitors to exploit at the other end and, in the fourth minute of stoppage, Isabella Kent grabbed a third for the visitors to bring an end to our youngsters’ unbeaten run of five games in all competitions.
In terms of team news, forward Grace Bellwood, who has been appointed captain for the 2026/27 campaign, made her first appearance of the season since her injury in April, completing 30 minutes on her return to action.
Playing our fourth game in the last 13 days, there was no surprise to slow nature of the contest at Hotspur Way but it quickly burst into life on 15 minutes when Oukriss, following a strong run into the box, was tripped up inside the box as she looked to switch the ball onto her right and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. The midfielder stepped up to take the spot-kick and calmly converted into the bottom corner to hand us the lead.
We struck the woodwork five minutes later, albeit with some fortunate when Ellie Johnson’s attempted pass into the middle misjudged by the goalkeeper and bounced against the inside of the post and into her hands, before Ruby Mace saw a low shot from distance go wide. O’Shea spotted Rose Mylam off her line and tried her luck with a lofted effort but couldn’t direct her attempt on target while Dulcie King dragged a shot wide as the visitors searched for a leveller in the closing stages of the first period, but we held on to maintain our one-goal advantage at the break.
Johnson had two opportunities in the opening quarter-of-an-hour of the second half to double our lead but was unable to keep her effort’s down from range before Ipswich responded just after the hour mark with two goals in four minutes. The equaliser was a bit of fortune as Mylam made a original good save to deny a shot from just outside the six-yard box but the ball fell kindly to feet of Munnings to tap home at the back post. Then, following a quick counterattack from one of our corners, O’Shea curled into the top corner at the near post from the right of the box to give her side a 2-1 lead.
After the away side’s turnaround, we needed a response in the last quarter of the fixture as Oukriss and Mace tried to test the keeper from distance while captain Bellwood, who was introduced on 62 minutes for her first appearance of the season, saw two efforts blocked followed by a snapshot from the edge of the box which was saved low by the keeper. However, it was the away side who extended their lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Kent finding some extra space inside our area before sending a low half-volley into the far bottom corner to condemn our young side to their first defeat in the Professional Game Academy League.
'We focus on our response and how we go into the next run of games to how we prepare and reflect in training'
Speaking after the game, coach Matt Sharman said: “First and foremost, the players have done really well in the sense that they've gone five games unbeaten in all competition, but now we've lost a game, I think it's important that, as this is the first time that we've felt it this season, we focus on our response and how we go into the next run of games and also how we prepare and reflect in training. The defeat comes from us not being at our best and that may be a little bit of a hangover from Sunday's match as well. In the last two games, we haven't been at the level that we've wanted and we can always look at having five games in the span of two weeks, which is obviously a lot, but also I think if we want to make that step up to senior level, they've got to be able to deal with those situations. It's our job as staff to go back and look at ways to continue to improve them and prepare them for those types of fixtures in such a short span.
On Grace Bellwood's return to action, he added: “We've been feeling Grace's presence in training, which has obviously been really good. She got 30 minutes on the pitch, which was nice to see from a recovery standpoint, but we want her to get back to her best and integrate her at the right pace. We all know what Grace’s got to offer from her qualities last season and, hopefully, we can help her get back to her very best."
Line-ups
Spurs: Mylam, Abeka (Neill 62), Elmes, Prosser, McClean, Mace, Deria (Bird 78), Oukriss, Northwood, Withey (Denis 46), Johnson (Bellwood 62). Substitutes (not used): Shields.
Match Data
Goals: Spurs – Oukriss 16; Ipswich – Munnings 61, O’Shea 65, Kent 90+4.
Yellow cards: Spurs – Deria 71; Ipswich – Georgia Banyard 28, Phoebe Duffin 85.
Referee: Ali Matour.
Venue: Hotspur Way.
Conditions: Overcast with a breeze, 20 degrees.