The Finalists
AFC Sudbury Ladies are the current holders of the Suffolk Women's County Cup having beaten Brandon Town Ladies 5-0 in last seasons final. Play their football in the Eastern Region Division One North. Entered this years competition in the 2nd round had an away trip to Brantham Athletic Ladies secured a comfortable 1-9 win to progress to the quarter finals were drawn at home to Bungay Town Ladies won 4-0. Faced a potentially tricky semi-final match against fellow Eastern Region Division One North side Bury Town Ladies, played at a neutral venue was a dominant display on the day booking their place in a 2nd successive final with a 4-0 win.
Ipswich Town Ladies won the competition the previous season beating Lowestoft Town Ladies 5-1. Are the highest placed women's football team in Suffolk in terms of league position playing their football in the FA Women's Premier League South East Division One. This season they didn't play until the quarter final stage, were drawn away to Ipswich Wanderers Ladies won the match 4-0. In the semi-finals they like AFC Sudbury faced a difficult tie away to Lowestoft Town Ladies playing in the league below but on a promotion charge had only suffered one defeat all season and that was away in the FA Women's Cup against FA Women's Super League 2 side Millwall Lionesses. Ipswich Town Ladies scored the only goal of the match to win through to the final.
The venue for todays Suffolk Women's County Cup Final, Ram Meadow in Bury St Edmunds, home to both Bury Town FC and Bury Town Ladies. Situated in the middle of Bury St Edmunds, Ram Meadow is a decent little stadium, with good facilities, bar and refreshments. Is a good sized pitch seen a lot of football but holding up well odd bare patch. The Suffolk FA has produced a nice program to accompany the final. Another pleasant evening for a cup final bright and sunny, cooling down in temperature as the evening progressed, the two teams walking onto the pitch, all four officials were female tonight which was encouraging to see.
AFC Sudbury Ladies starting XI - Mollie Noble, Rebecca Thrower, Marie Seabrook, Sophie Pink, Charlotte Churchman, Sophie Jeffery, Natalie Golding (C), Skye Ramsey, Kayleigh Steed, Phoebe Guiver & Enya Moore.
subs - Emma Squirrell, Natalie Cutin, Holly Harrison, LouLou Boaler- Hysett & Kiera Bates.
Ipswich Town Ladies starting XI - Laura Bird, Coral Young, Lucy Du Plooy, Aimee Harrison, Lindsey Smith, Danielle Bitten (C), Sam Carson, Amanda Crump, Roxanne Small, Ellie Rossiter & Molly Hall.
subs - Jazz Cox, Hollie Clement, Lauren Cartwright & Chantelle Keevil.
(roll on, roll off substitutes)
Ipswich get the Suffolk Women's County Cup Final underway, are kitted out in their blue shirts and socks with white shorts with opponents Sudbury lined up in yellow shirts and socks with blue shorts. It's Ipswich who start the brighter on the offensive straight from kick off with Amanda Crump bringing the ball forwards and looking to release Ellie Rossiter playing out wide right.
Rossiter puts a cross into the near post from the right, Sudbury goalkeeper, Mollie Noble is coming for it as an Ipswich attacker rushes in to try and get to the ball it is put behind for a corner kick. Sudbury defend the set piece try and get the ball up the pitch Ipswich though soon regain possession and string a few passes together around the Sudbury box before the ball is rolled back to Crump 25 yards out to the right of the box, takes on the shot fires her effort wide across goal.
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| Ipswich Town Ladies, Amanda Crump |
Sudbury are finding it difficult to get the ball into Enya Moore and Kayleigh Steed in attack, there is little goal mouth action to talk about in the 1st 15 minutes, Ipswich goalkeeper Laura Bird has been a spectator so far. Rossiter staying up on the right is keeping her position out wide well, looking to be available for the long pass, whilst on the left Roxanne Small and Lucy Du Plooy playing full back behind her are linking up well when taking the ball forwards, Sudbury on the whole are defending the attempted crosses well.
Out of nothing Sudbury get a chance to attack the Ipswich goal, the pass is threaded through from the middle, Sophie Jeffery with the threaded pass to put her beyond the Ipswich central defenders, holding off Aimee Harrison, Moore looks to shoot as she enters the box, swing her shot past Bird, having closed down the angle Bird is able to throw her arm out to stop the shot flying past her.
In attack for Ipswich, Rossiter is played in on the right, bursting into the box has keeper Noble coming to close her down manages to get the ball past her inside the box is wide of the goal from the right Rossiter sends the ball across the six yard box has Small racing in to meet it, her shot is blocked and Sudbury recover get the ball away.
The ball played into her feet Ipswich's Molly Hall has Small making a good run beyond her to her right looks to play the ball into her to take inside the box for a shooting chance, Small is denied by a good challenge from Sudbury's Marie Seabrook inside the area. Sudbury are seeing more off the ball as the 1st half draws to a close attempting to get more bodies forward, just can't find the gaps in a well organised Ipswich back line.
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| Molly Hall on the attack for Ipswich Town Ladies |
Winning the ball high up the pitch on the left Ipswich captain Danielle Bitten, tries her luck from distance her low shot goes behind, must have take a nick off a Sudbury player as a corner is given. Played in from the left at a good height with plenty of pace, it's Hall making the run looking to connect her head to the ball, it was vital a Sudbury head made contact with the ball 1st.
GOAL! Into the last 5 minutes of the 1st half Ipswich finally get the break through open the scoring. The move starting with Bitten as she brings the ball forwards from the centre again has fellow central midfielder Sam Carson ahead of her on he right outside the area plays the pass into her, Carson gets the ball stuck under her feet, before she flicks it on into the area with Crump making the run into the area on the right of the six yard box, she fires the ball across the face of the Sudbury goal. Small is racing in at the far post to turn the ball into the back of the net to give Ipswich the lead 0-1.
Ipswich's Crump collects the ball in the middle in front of the D as Du Plooy brings the ball up the left side of the pitch, turning has time and space to shoot, aims for the top corner, Noble though has that side of her goal covered, isn't troubled by Crump's shot as it flies over. Into injury time and Carson steals in to chest a goal kick down and take the ball forwards right of the box, looks to shoot, the ball coming in low, bouncing is straight at Noble who gathers.
Half time - AFC Sudbury Ladies 0-1 Ipswich Town Ladies
A good 1st half from Ipswich Town Ladies have been the most proactive in attack using both flanks well spreading the play, have had to be patient though as they have come up against a well drilled and disciplined Sudbury team who for the majority have defended well, that though has cost them ground going forwards where their attackers have seen little of the ball, just one goal in it though as Sudbury get the 2nd half under way.
Ipswich made a change at half time with Molly Hall, coming off and Jazz Cox coming on in attack. Sudbury are getting a little more penetration into the Ipswich half down the flanks at the start of the half captain Natalie Golding trying to find that final pass to open up the Ipswich defence.
Ipswich launch a counter attack as they win the ball back in front of their box put it forwards quickly, Rossiter is sent clear to take the ball into space on the right, she fires a great cross into the area flashing across the six yard box, Small has covered the ground is sliding in looking to divert it home, looks certain to double Ipswich's lead, the contact though isn't clean the ball bobbling up hit's Noble as she stays on her feet, the ball is loose for a moment, Small on the ground can't get to it, Du Plooy has covered the ground to get into the area behind her the ball pops up she puts her boot through it blazes the shot high and over.
Sophie Jeffery who I watched tear Bury Town Ladies to pieces on the left for Sudbury in the semi final of the competition, isn't getting the time and space to get on the ball and take on the Ipswich defence who are prepared to drop deep to limit the space in behind. When Jeffery can dig out a cross the ball is intercepted by Ipswich central defenders Lindsey Smith and Aimee Harrison.
Small is a player full of pace, is holding onto the shoulder of the last Sudbury defender ready to pounce if the ball is put over the top, gives chase to one such ball, Noble has to come racing out of her area to kick the ball away before Small can bare down on her goal. Rossiter slips through into space on the right again cuts the ball back to Coral Young inside the area to the right of the goal, unable to get the ball down for a shot, she instead lays it back Carson offering herself inside the D, she looks to shoot, Sudbury put the block in.
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| Ipswich Town Ladies Sam Carson |
Moore and Steed look to link up in attack for Sudbury, twice Steed holding the ball up looks to turn and send the pass through with Moore making the run for her, doesn't find it's way though. Steed is fouled as she tries to play the pass to Moore again, Golding is over the free kick, looks to send it in towards the far post for runners to attack, plays it a little too long allowing Bird to come and collect.
GOAL! Ipswich double there lead, Jazz Cox getting onto the ball taking it into the left channel, has Sudbury's Rebecca Thrower in front of her the defend initially does well to defend with Cox travelling into the area, the defender is unfortunate as her attempted clearance smashes into Cox, who is sharp stealing past Thrower to get onto the loose ball, Noble has come across to cover the near post Cox looks to lob the ball up over her head, get's it past the keeper the ball is heading over the line, Crump coming in gets a header on the ball, the goal is awarded to Cox 0-2.
Sudbury make a double change with Emma Squirrell and Holly Harrison coming on for Kayleigh Steed and Skye Ramsey. Straight away Squirrell is looking to get hold of the ball turn her marker and travel forwards. Shots on goal are at a premium for Sudbury though as they chase the game, Squirrell sends a shot in low from the left of the area, not enough pace though Bird is in place to gather the ball.
Ipswich bring off Small, with Chantelle Keevil coming onto the pitch. Sudbury take off Seabrook and bring Steed back into the action with 30 minutes of the 2nd half played. Sudbury are causing a few more problems since Squirrell has come on, Ipswich are maintaining a good defensive shape with Bitten and Carson covering the ground well in front of the back four, Du Plooy leaves the pitch with Hollie Clement coming on the next change sees Carson the player giving way and Lauren Cartwright comes onto the pitch making her 1st appearance for over a year having been out having had an operation on a serious knee injury.
On the left Sudbury's, Jeffery tries to drill the ball in towards goal from 30 yards out, goes wide at the near post. Time is running out to get the goal that would set up a tense finish. Harrison is the next player to have a pop at goal from 30 yards out central turning her marker releases the shot bounces through to the keeper. Hall comes back on for Rossiter for Ipswich. Sudbury bring off Jeffery with LouLou Boale-Hysett the player coming on.
Cox peels into space on the right of the Sudbury area is bearing down on goal aims for the near post dropping low Noble has it covered makes the save the ball going out for a corner, the ball is played into a crowded near post area, Sudbury head it away launch a counter getting the ball up to Squirrell she drives into the box, is hurt as an Ipswich defender slides into clear the ball for a throw, can't carry on is carried off with Natalie Curtin coming on.
The final whistle blows and Ipswich are the team celebrating as they win the match 2-0 and are this years Suffolk Women's County Cup winners.
A game of few chances, with both sides defences winning out for long spells, Ipswich created far more going forwards, had to be patient for the 1st goal, never looked like conceding the other end. Sudbury worked hard defending well getting people behind the ball early on it looked like it was going to be a low scoring game, never really got going as an attacking force.
Congratulations to Ipswich Town Ladies on winning the cup.
3 women's County Cup Finals watched in six days, 4 finals in total in a week has been enjoyable if busy.
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