United ladies produce devastating display in Suffolk
Cambridge United Women returned from Suffolk victorious with all three points after a thumping 7-1 victory over Ipswich Town Ladies, to avenge the 2-1 home defeat earlier in the season.
On an extremely blustery afternoon in Ipswich, it was the home side who were out the blocks fastest only taking three minutes to open the scoring. The United defence didn’t deal with a corner well and Aimee Harrison reacted first to volley home from close range.
The hosts continued to dominate proceedings and it took a fine save from Verity Crook to tip over a stinging shot which ensured the lead was kept down to one. However, slowly but surely the U’s started to edge back into the game and just past the half hour mark, they found an equaliser in spectacular fashion. Sarah Wiltshire turned her defender inside out before firing a vicious left foot drive which found the net off the inside of the far post.
Then two minutes before half time, United completed their first half turnaround. Wiltshire again the scorer, as she raced onto a Faith Hewitt through ball before rounding the keeper and rolling the ball into an empty net.
In truth, it had been a below par first half display from the visitors, but the second half performance simply blew Ipswich away, as United rattled off a further five goals in superb attacking style.
Lucy Du Plooy found Wiltshire well from the left back position and her pass was weighted nicely into Laura Mills’ path and she made no mistake with the finish, making it 3-1 on the hour mark.
A few minutes later, Wiltshire sealed a fine hat trick when Laura Bright’s ball forward found her in space and she lobbed the keeper on the half volley from outside the penalty area.
The now rampant U’s were in irresistible form and less than two minutes later it was 5-1 when Wiltshire turned provider picking out an inch perfect through ball to find Faith Hewitt’s run into the area who slid the ball home past the advancing goalkeeper.
As the game moved into the final ten minutes and with the match over as a contest, United were in no mood to let up and Mills notched her second of the game with a top drawer finish into the far corner of the net after Wiltshire’s ball had found her in the right of the penalty area. And there was still time in injury time for substitute Liz Pamplin to divert home Mills’ cross via a big deflection to leave the U’s in seventh heaven.
Manager Steve Edwards was full of praise for his side’s second half display, commenting: “It sounds funny after such a big score line but in the first half we were very disappointed with how we were performing and I thought Ipswich were causing us a number of problems.
“We spoke about a few things at half time and tidied up our tactics which I hoped would change our fortunes in the second half and the performance put in was unbelievable.
“We attacked with such pace and desire, and our finishing was top class. It was a ruthless display from us and I think it is a reflection of where we are at as a team at the moment, playing with freedom, commitment and a real togetherness, it was a joy to watch.”
LINE UP:- Verity Crook, Emma Jenkins, Kayleigh Anne Burt, Laura Bright, Lucy Du Plooy, Hannah Goodchild, Tahnee Perfect, Laura Mills, Isabella Simmons (sub 76 mins Liz Pamplin), Faith Hewitt (sub 70 mins Carrie Bennett), Sarah Wiltshire