End Of The Road For The Royals

Another Sunday, another trip South for BotP. However, it was not just another Sunday for AFC Portchester. Having already made club history by knocking out higher-ranked Worthing in the previous round of the FA Cup (Royals Give Worthing The 2nd Half Blues), The Royals were preparing to set their sights on Championship side Ipswich Town in Round Three.
The Tractor Girls have been part of the National League structure for over a decade, progressing through the divisions and gaining promotion to WSL2 (The Championship) at the end of last season. It's fair to say that they've found life in the second tier quite difficult so far, having won just one league game from their opening ten, a 3-2 home defeat of Portsmouth. They did, however, earn a very creditable 1-1 draw at Durham last time out.
Portchester, despite not playing since they beat Worthing, have not lost a game in any competition since the 2-1 home defeat to Beaconsfield back in mid-September, a run of nine games in which they have won seven.

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Ipswich laying siege to the Portchy goal

Portchester began the game kicking towards the sea end, down the slight slope. However, they quickly found themselves defending quite deeply at the other end, with their visitors pushing them backwards from the off. Ipswich did not begin the game like a team at the bottom of their league. Where there could easily have been a lack of confidence and wariness of the banana skin, The Tractor Girls looked sharp and ready for the challenge. It was quite obvious that this was going to be a very tough assignment for Portchy.
It was, therefore, no great surprise when the visitors took the lead in the fifth minute. Maddy Early drifted past a couple of challenges before finding Lucy O'Brien inside the box. The striker had time to pick her spot, sending the ball into the bottom corner. 0-1
Of course, Portchester had gone behind in the previous round, but this was a different game. Although Worthing took the lead it was against the run of play and it always felt like Portchester would score. Ipswich, on the other hand, were controlling the game.
The Tractor Girls continued to keep Portchy penned in their own half. Millie Bradbury was seeing very little of the ball and, when it did get to her, she was immediately shutdown by the well organised Town back-line.
However, despite their dominance in terms of possession, Ipswich were finding it difficult to increase their lead, and this was in no small way down to the inspired performance of Portchy goalkeeper Shannon Betteridge.
A brave block at the feet of an Ipswich striker was followed, on 17 minutes, by a brilliant double save from Rianna Dean. There was even better to come in the 25th minute when Lucy O'Brien saw her first effort come back off the post and her follow-up superbly tipped over the bar by Betteridge, who appeared to collide with the post in making the save and required a fair bit of treatment, from both medical teams, before she could continue. This injury would eventually see her taken off in the second half. Her opposite number, Laura Hartley, was having a much quitter afternoon having not had a shot to stop.
That said, the banks of orange defenders were still holding off the Town onslaught. Captain Gemma Hillier was fighting for everything in the centre and, across the board, the Portchy players were working incredibly hard against an Ipswich side that were very comfortable on the ball and very assured in their passing.
Town probably should have added to their total on 43 minutes when Dean rounded Betteridge before slamming her effort against the foot of the post. They did, however, still go in two to the good. Right on the stroke of 45 minutes, Ipswich were awarded a free-kick wide on the left. Centre-half Paige Peake too the kick, sending the ball deep towards the far post where Kyra Robertson was able to deftly guide a header back across Betteridge and into the bottom corner. 0-2

HT AFC Portchester 0 Ipswich Town 2. A half dominated by Ipswich but, after their early lead, they did struggle to find the killer touch to get past a battling Portchester defence. The second goal, right on half-time, was a big blow to the home team, who must have been thinking they were going into the break just a goal down.

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Betteridge to the rescue again

The second half showed no change in pattern to the first. Ipswich set about their task in the same with the same vigour, Portchester defended with the same tenacity. Eight minutes in the home side were once again grateful to their goalkeeper who was off her line sharply to block a Maddy Early effort at point-blank range. However, there was nothing Betteridge could do ten minutes later, as Ipswich extended their led with a cleverly worked free-kick move. Their Kiwi defender Grace Neville shaped to curl a ball into the box but, instead, slid it down the line for captain Maria Boswell. Her cut-back was slammed into the net on the half-turn by Rianna Dean. 0-3
Effectively the game was sealed, but Ipswich weren't finished and, three minutes later, they conjured another goal. Ruby Seaby picked the ball up 40 yards out on the right wing. Driving infield she then fed Early, who cleverly cut the ball back into the path of Seaby to drive, high, past Betteridge. 0-4
Betteridge, clearly still shaken from the first-half knock, stayed down after the ball fizzed past her. Despite both medical teams coming on again (great credit to Ipswich for helping out both times), the Portchy stopper was unable to continue, leaving the pitch to a thoroughly deserved ovation from both sets of fans.
Former skipper, Eilidh Currie, took over in goal and proceeded to make a couple of decent saves before finally being beaten in the 82nd minute. Maddy Earl, who had been a constant thorn in the Portchester side all game, twisted and turned on the edge of the area, working a small gap before leashing the ball into the top corner past a stunned Currie. 0-5. A very well deserved goal to add to the Town midfielder's excellent overall performance.

FT AFC Portchester 0 Ipswich Town 5. A well controlled and thoroughly professional performance from Ipswich. They took hold of the game early and never gave their hosts a glimpse of a way back into the game. Portchester worked as hard as they possibly could and, I'm sure, will have learned a lot from the experience. There's a three division gap between these two sides and Ipswich certainly made that show. As a team, they had too much for Portchy.
Let's not forget that this was a record-breaking run for Portchester and, yet again, the stadium attendance record was broken, with 446 in attendance. Credit should go to the Ipswich Town supporters, of which there were plenty, who made 320 mile, 6 hour round trip.
Portchester now have to wait until Jan 11 for their next game, a home Premier League clash with Badshot Lea.
Ipswich travel to Sunderland on Sunday in a massive relegation 6-pointer. Sunderland are currently four points and one place above the Tractor Girls.

AFC Portchester: Betteridge, Bell, Potvin, Marshall, Butterworth, Hillier(c), Fuller, Morgan, Barron-Clark, Bradbury, Nightingale. Subs: Stroem, True, Hill, Riley, Meyer, Currie, Aitken, Kelly, Bath
Ipswich Town: Hartley, Neville, Boswell(c), Peake, Hughes, Robertson, Fleming, Seaby, Earl, O'Brien, Dean. Subs: Negri, Roe, Wearing, Dear, Bonwick, Guyatt, Peskett, Thomas


Ground Number: Revisit
Att: 446 (new stadium record for women's football)
Entrance: £5.00
Programme: Online

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Ipswich hit the bar direct from a corner