Billericay Town 2–1 Ipswich Town
By Ben Gilby
Two goals from Therese Addison, with the second coming just two minutes from the end of normal time, ensured Billericay Town created a minor surprise by defeating their fellow FA Women’s National League Division One London & South-East side Ipswich Town.
Ipswich, who had progressed to the fifth round of the competition last season and earned a trip to FA Women’s Super League side Manchester City in the process, now face a long wait before they can take out their frustrations out on the FA Women’s National League in the new season.
The Tractor Girls threatened early on with Natasha Thomas finding Anna Grey on the left hand side. Her cross rebounded off of the Essex side’s defender Esme Lancaster for a corner which the hosts dealt with.
It took five minutes for Billericay to get out of their own half, but when they did, they threatened Ipswich. An early cross in from Zoe Rushen found Therese Addison, but she was adjudged to be offside before getting a shot away.
Grey continued to threaten down the left, but Lancaster continued to prove she was up to the challenge after putting in a magnificent challenge to clear the danger, when anything less than a perfectly timed tackle would have resulted in a penalty.
The home side got their first shot in on goal thanks to a free kick after Addison was fouled around ten metres inside the Ipswich half. Up stepped Ellie Jeffkins with a shot from extreme long range which bounced wide of the left hand post.
Billericay were more in the game now and were trying to play some easy on the eye triangular passing in the build-up. Unfortunately from one such move, Jay Blackie lost possession to Natasha Thomas who shot from distance and Amy Mullett pushed it over the bar. From the resulting corner, Lucy Egan’s effort came back off of the bar.
Ipswich built the pressure and continued to earn corners at regular intervals.
Sixteen minutes before the break, the Tractor Girls took the lead that their pressure deserved, and it was their stand out player Anna Grey who delivered a sensational goal. She hit an effort from over twenty-five yards which dipped over Mullett and into the net. A classy finish from a classy player.
Yet, Ipswich’s lead lasted for no more than ninety seconds and it was another absolutely magnificent goal. A free kick for Billericay on the right from Danica Dougal was headed across the box to Therese Addison. She was surrounded by two Ipswich defenders, but turned and hit an instant shot which flew into the net.
The visitors responded well and came close on several occasions. Grey caused more havoc down the left with ten minutes of the half remaining and earned her side their sixth corner of the afternoon. Shortly afterwards, Paige Peake found Grey once more and her low ball in found Thomas, who was less than five yards out from the goal line. It needed a mere tap to go in, yet somehow the Ipswich forward managed to lift the ball over the bar.
With the clock ticking towards the forty-fifth minute, Ipswich thought momentarily that they had regained the lead as Grey’s low ball in from the left was tapped home, but the assistant referee had his flag raised.
With the last kick of the first half, there was another golden opportunity. A free-kick was awarded to Billericay five metres out from the ‘D’ to the left of centre for handball. Addison hit a scorching effort which came off of the top of the right hand post before the half-time whistle went.
The second half began with a bit of a chess-like exchange with the only immediate opportunity coming via Anna Grey who played a ball in which eventually found its way to Lucy Egan who fired an effort from thirty yards over the bar.
Ten minutes into the second period, another long range effort from Therese Addison, this time from almost forty yards, flew just centimetres over the bar.
Billericay continued to press and a free-kick rebounded off of the knee of visiting keeper Lucy Williamson for a corner. A viciously in swinging corner saw Williamson forced to push it out for a second one which the Suffolk women cleared.
As the game entered its last quarter of an hour, chances were few and far between. Ipswich did earn their tenth corner of the game after Grey’s shot was deflected out. The set piece came in and was headed wide by Lucy Egan.
The match looked to be heading towards extra-time, but, with two minutes of normal time left there was a dramatic turn of events.
Amy Mullett’s goal kick was collected by Jay Blackie in midfield. She eventually found substitute Paige Clemenson on the right wing who got free and played a ball across the box. Ipswich had plenty of defenders between the ball and Billericay’s sole attacker Therese Addison, yet somehow a swing and a miss later, the ball fell perfectly for Addison who simply could not fail to score.
The drama continued as almost ten minutes of stoppage time was played. Ipswich, as you would expect pressed. Page’s cross was met on the volley by Maddie Biggs but it went just wide of the right hand post.
The Essex side almost saved their visitors when substitute Kerry Stimson’s header back towards goal needed a diving palm round the post by her own keeper Mullett.
Six minutes into stoppage time, Ipswich were awarded a free kick just outside the box after a foul by Lucy Jones who was yellow carded for Billericay. Paige Peake’s free kick curled over.
With almost a hundred minutes played Clemenson got through again and tangled with Grey in the box. The Billericay substitute went down but the referee waved away penalty claims and blew the final whistle.
It was an excellent result for Billericay Town who now go on in the competition. Ipswich Town, after two frustrating seasons which has seen their hopes of promotion into the third tier taken away from them due to coronavirus, now have a long summer ahead of them before competitive action resumes.
Teams: BILLERICAY TOWN: 23) Amy Mullett, 3) Ellie Jeffkins, 4) Lucy Jones, 5) Danica Dougal, 6) Courtney Lumley, 7) Jay Blackie, 9) Therese Addison, 10) Robyn Moody, 13) Zoe Rushen, 14) Esme Lancaster, 22) Georgie Morton Substitutes: Alex Baker, Edita Dobreva, Paige Clemenson, Lily Price, Teni Charles, Connie Forman, Freya Fuller, Millie Stacey, Kerry Stimson.
Scorers: Addison 31, 88.
IPSWICH TOWN: 13) Lucy Williamson, 3) Eva Hubbard, 4) Blue Wilson, 6) Lucy Egan, 7) Natasha Thomas, 11) Anna Grey, 15) Molly Sutherland, 17) Sophie Peskett, 19) Abbie Lafayette, 24) Paige Peake, 30) Lucy O’Brien. Substitutes: Sasha Adamson, Georgia Allen, Zoe Barratt, Maddie Biggs, Olivia Billson, Lindsey Cooper, Amanda Crump, Ellie Rossister, Paige Wakefield.
Scorer: Grey 29.
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