Tractor Girls Talk - Five games unbeaten and WSL 2 survival hopes

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0:39Ross Halls:hello buddy it's me roscoe and welcome back to the long-awaited track the girls talk podcast the show where you cover all things itch rich town women i'm joined by my right-hand man and covering the track the girls in tom can my friend hope you're doing well um i have to mainly be the your man to apologise because I was the one who always kept changing dates and things came up. But we're finally here, Tom, to discuss an unbeaten run. And they're in a better position, aren't they, now, Derry Wright's side? But how are you? Yeah, I'm very well, thank you. Had a little bit of illness over the last few days.

1:15The voice still sounds a little bit funny, but we'll power through. Yeah, it's been a very long time since we've done one of these and a lot has happened obviously in that time so I'm looking forward to talking about the amazing turn that town women have taken since the start of the year

1:38Ross Halls:Yeah, it's been incredible Last time I recorded, sorry to say, ladies and gentlemen was the 28th of January, that was after the 1-1 draw against Bristol City Since then, there was five more signings in the door, nine in total during the January transfer window and it's been a very good run for David Wright's side, as I mentioned. Some big wins. Durham last weekend, or weekend just gone, of course, they beat Portsmouth, a relegation rival, in a big, big game and also got really good draws against Newcastle and Cholten, who are, of course, top of the table, although Portsmouth beat them randomly last week.

2:12Ross Halls:That was a big, big result for Portsmouth. But, Tom, we're going to discuss mainly the Durham game because we were there at Colchester on a nice sunny spring afternoon on Mother's Day. Good on Mother's Day. So, good Mother's Day for everyone involved. And, yeah, it was a 2-1 win. Just your overall thoughts on that. We're going to hear from David Wright and also one of town's new signings and goal scorer on the day, Lucy Ashworth-Clifford. But your thoughts on the 2-1 win, my friend? Yeah. really good first half they were on the front foot pretty much from the off and I mean we'll come on to the new signings but it was a much changed squad from what we've seen all season obviously they've had a little bit of time to get used to each other now come back in off the international break and an entirely new front line made up of January signings.

3:20Midfield, both made up of January signings as well. And I thought everyone had a really good game. I thought it was dominant. Ava Baker on the right wing was really good, getting into a lot of good positions, very quick, getting past her defender. Both the midfielders, I thought, had really good games, controlled the game, especially the first half well, pinging passes. Both of them had an input into both of Town's goals. Obviously, you've got a striker that's not started yet. I don't think for Ipswich women came in, looked every bit the part. So it was a really good performance. Obviously, the second half there, as you're going to hear in a minute, David Wright said in his interview that there was always going to be a momentum shift.

4:17There was. It was a lot more even the second half. But the fact that it took an absolute wonder goal from Durham, they could feel a little bit hard done by with the disallowed goal that they had in the first half. But, I mean, it wasn't touched, but she did go for the ball. So I can understand why it was ruled out for offside. But I can see why they're feeling a little bit hard done by with that decision. But Ipswich did deserve the three points more than Durham did. And it helps them move, you know, well, they're on the same points now as Durham with a game in hand still. So it helps them move further away from, you know, where they don't want to be.

5:04Ross Halls:Yeah, very much. So we're going to get into that very shortly because it is a very interesting table at the bottom. And, yeah, it's going to be a big question we'll be asking Tom very shortly. And it'll be great to hear from you guys as well, listening and watching Cantown beat the drop. We shall see. But, yeah, I want to talk about the goals, though, Tom, because there were two good goals. I worked by Ava Baker. Princess, I don't know. No, I can't say it. I can't say it. Just Princess, 99. Yes, the one. Yeah, she was making her first start. And she's done well. She's really impressed. She's, of course, joined on loan from Gotham in New York, which is just, you know, obviously she's came through the West Ham Academy.

5:48Ross Halls:So, you know, she obviously knows English football. But, yeah, it's an itchwich town in Gotham. Never thought I'd see that, two teams linking up. But she's obviously on loan for the rest of the season. But scoring the opening goal and a big moment for her. But, yeah, she's really impressed. I remember watching, you know, some of the Portsmouth game and she really made an impact in that one. But yeah, her first goal, I think, in town colours. Yes. Yeah. I mean, it was... For a 19-year-old, I think she is, very physical, not afraid to get involved. She's not afraid to take strikes on as well. And yeah, she finally got her first goal.

6:34I mean, both goals were pretty much the same. first one was a fantastic ball i think it was keviner who lifted the ball over to over baker took it down really well and squared it to princess and you know easy little you know tap in falling over and then the second one was i think princess was involved at the very start of that as well, holding up the ball well in Towns' half, laying it off to Kit Graham, I think that one was, who then played it through to Baker, who was just everywhere the first half, you know, basically one on one with the goalkeeper. And as, again, you'll hear in a minute, Lucy thought, Lucy Ashworth-Clifford thought that she was just going to go herself.

7:29very unselfish played it across and yeah all she had to do was put the ball in the back of the net which she did and two very similar goals easily broke the broke the defence and yeah 2-0 within 33 minutes I think it was two very good goals very well worked goals

7:57Ross Halls:Yeah, very good team goals and that was a whole different forward line, wasn't it? Four players who are new signings and that is sometimes that can look disjointed because they're new players coming into the team and they only played a few games together but they're really threatening all the time I think Princess had never a chance in that first half and I was really enjoying seeing Ava go down the wing as well Lucy. Obviously, I still have great memories of Sophie Pesca down the wing, which of course is still here. But just seeing that fresh forward line, it still feels a bit weird. But yeah, they're really impressed.

8:38Yeah, really impressed. The fact that all four were involved in either one of the goals or both of the goals speaks a lot. The midfield of Colette and Kit and Maleka, Mina, I thought all three were really good. Obviously, Kit in the attacking midfield role. All played a huge part in controlling the game and getting into those positions and catching Durham on the counter, which they did really, really well on multiple occasions. As you say, there was an overhead audacious from Princess that she just narrowly missed and an attempted recycle of the ball. There were a few opportunities where they could have had one or two more, but they did control that first half really, really well.

9:36And it did look – it was strange. It was strange watching a front line made up of players that didn't include who we've been watching for the last few seasons of Tash and Sophie Peskitt, Lucy O 'Brien. But the fact that you have those players on the bench to be able to come on, I think, is a position that they worked really hard in January to be able to put themselves into that position and to have that quality of depth at David's disposal.

10:10Ross Halls:Definitely. And I will admit I would have been off my stall if Princess scored that overhead kick because I was just, remember, just sort of waiting for that moment. I was, you know, trying to capture it as best I possibly can. A defender was in my way, but I was just like, oh, my God, I would have been on my stall and I would have been celebrating that as well because that would have been incredible. To be, like, live in person, to see an over-air kick, I've only been in a few games where I've seen a live over-air kick and that would have been an incredible moment. And, yeah, that would have definitely killed off the game at that point.

10:41Ross Halls:But, yeah, second half, Tom, you know, yeah, as you mentioned, Durham had to score a screamer to peg a goal back. We haven't mentioned, by the way, an hour and a half before kick-off, Durham decided to sack their manager. But I can imagine it was already decided before they announced it. I think they were probably just waiting for the right time. And I was sort of saying, oh, maybe they're trying to throw us off a little bit. You know, go, oh, you know, maybe they'll set up a bit differently. You know, they'll have a different manager in the dugout, which was Neil Redfern, who, you know, a former player.

11:14Ross Halls:He also coached women's football before as well at Sheffield United and Liverpool. But that must have been weird. Like, you're sort of preparing, like they're right, but preparing against, you know, Adam Furness' team. And then, yeah, an hour and a half before kickoff, you then go, oh, hi, Neil. We're facing your team today. So, yeah, but Durham, they got back into the game though, Tom. and there was a moment where I was like, oh, could Durham come back into this in terms of like, could they find an equaliser? I will admit, I didn't really like how we managed the ending, really. There was a few moments where I was like, oh, we've not done well there to clear the ball out of the way or try to hold it in the corner.

11:52Ross Halls:How are you feeling in those final minutes? You know, Town did have a few chances. I remember, was it Colette Kavanagh, she hit the crossbar, that was a big moment. But yeah, Durham were trying to get into the game and try to find that equaliser.

12:13Yeah, it was very even and it was expected. I think on the whole, they defended really well. There were moments where I thought, oh dear, come on, come on town, don't do something silly. and the wind didn't help either. Obviously, it was a lovely day, not inside Colchester Stadium, it wasn't. It was freezing and the wind was blowing and it did have an impact. I think every single kick that Natalia Negri did was held up by the wind in Durham's favour. So that didn't help, but they did enough, obviously. to win the game. Could they have done better? Potentially. But they did what they needed to.

13:12And, you know, when you're down there, you just need to defend for your lives, which is what they did. And they did do it really well. Obviously, again, they could have they'll argue that they should have had a goal before half time, which was actually, I didn't realise at the time, but it was scored by Lucy Watson. who was obviously here last season and won promotion with Towne. But thankfully that didn't count. And it took a really good goal from one of their substitutes to get back into the game. I don't think anyone could have done anything about that. I think the wind had an impact on that as well.

13:58But they held on and that's all that matters. it doesn't really matter how you do it as long as they did do it.

14:05Ross Halls:Yeah, and to be fair, I'm just going back to your report, which is always good. Go and check it out, ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't already. And I completely forgot about this, but yeah, Town did have a few chances to put the game to bed at the end, didn't they? Of course, Town made some subs. Natasha Thomas comes on, so Peskett comes on, bringing a bit of energy, Lucio Braun as well. They had a few chances at the end there, but didn't put the game to bed, but in fact we didn't need to worry about that point of view but it's crazy though we've got the options off the bench you know, Luce O 'Brien, Zoe Peskitt, Natasha Thomas which is fantastic Yeah, really good, I think that's exactly what they were going for in January is just to have that extra depth because we saw at the start of the season how thin on the ground they were with not being able to put an entire bench out actually some weeks and all the injuries and I'm pretty sure there was a couple of months So they just had about two, three midfielders available.

15:03Players had to play out of position. Bethan Rowe and Liam Mitchell had to make up the midfield duo, which neither of them are traditionally midfielders. So it's great now that they've got all those options and you've got players like Jamaican international, Natasha Thomas, Sophie Peskett, who has been player of the year for the last couple of years, top goal scorer, Lucy O 'Brien, who was top assist, I think, last year. in the National League. Those players that you can just go, yeah, you're going on now, and have them available. Rhianna Dean as well, who's scored a number of goals this season, didn't even come on in this game.

15:45But just to have all those players available to you must be exactly what David Wright has been after since taking over.

15:56Ross Halls:Yeah, and big shout out to Leah Mitchell as well. She came off the bench and she's obviously been solid this season. Really impressed in the second tier. And I want to quickly mention, Tom, about the defensive unit because that's the only unchanged team in terms of since Derry Wright's taken over. Obviously Negri in goal, Boswell, Maria Boswell, of course, they're skipper at right back, Page Peak, Megan Waring at centre-harsen. Of course, Beth Rowe now going back to left-back. But it's been pretty solid. They had a really bad period, didn't they? They were conceding some poor goals. Of course, they lost 7-0 against Bristol City back in November.

16:31Ross Halls:But since then, it's been very, very solid. And maybe it's just because it's a settled back line now, because there was a few players changing here and there. But they've been really solid. Yeah, yeah, they've been really solid. As you say, I think it is down to the fact that they've sort of just been able to be that back line. again at the start of the season there was Grace Neville there I think she's injured now so she's had to come out Boz had to then move into the midfield you know centre-back role alongside Paige Peaker who's pretty much been a constant throughout you had Summer Hughes coming in for games because Beth and Rowe had to move out of position so now that they've been able to settle down that back line um and you know they've been really solid um to be fair to them it's you know they were giving away some really silly silly goals which i know was frustrating to everybody a lot of you know uh set pieces conceded crosses into the box conceded um i don't think that they've had one of them for a little while now um a couple of weeks so yeah they're working on things and Negri's obviously won goal of the, well, save of the month, not goal of the month, blimey, save of the month.

17:52It would be good, yeah. I think it was. That would have been, yeah. I mean, if she scores, that would be goal of the month, no questions. Yeah, save of the month for February. So everyone's playing their part to turn Town's fortunes around this season. and it's really good to see. It's actually really enjoyable to go back and watch them.

18:15Ross Halls:Yeah, I'm just having a quick look. I think even Sophie Peskett won an award, didn't she, or got nominated? I think she was nominated for Goal of the Month against Newcastle when she turned her defender inside. It might not have been Newcastle, but she was definitely nominated. Yeah, she was definitely. But no, very solid. Let's hear then, Tom. We'll actually hear from Lucy Ashworth-Cliffords, first of all. you spoke to her new signing first goal for the club as well let's hear from her because she's on loan is it from Lazio or am I getting someone next to her I don't think she's on loan I think she joined permanently she was of course she was Lazio playing Lazio which is incredible once again another like link you know of course Colette Cavanaugh is on loan from the Spanish team and then you've got the new goalie she's signed from Juventus which is just yeah these clubs linking up you know a couple of years ago yeah we weren't even thinking about that but incredible but let's hear from Lucy Tom you spoke to her let's see what she had to say about the 2-1 winning against Durham as I can't speak there we go Right Lucy well played what were your assessments of the team today?

19:24Brilliant performance obviously we had like a few rusty moments but it was nice to get the win and the three points Yeah and fully changed front line from David today all made up of January sign-ins. What was it like being part of that front line and how have you guys sort of clicked since all working together? I think Davey's done a really good job. Nine players is a huge integration and the way that he's done it has been fantastic. Obviously, people are going to be upset that they're not playing, but it's all part of the team. There's going to be times that people aren't going to play and they are going to play 90 minutes.

19:59No matter what, they're going to have a huge importance in the game. So being part of the team today has been a privilege. You've obviously impacted games that you've been a part of so far for Ipswich, but today was your first town goal. That must be really great for you. Yeah, to be honest, I didn't know I was scoring that. I thought Ava was going to shoot herself, but she was selfish as soon as she found me. Unfortunately, that's my right foot, which I'm not too confident with, but I found the back of the net. It doesn't matter how they go in, does it, as long as you're in the right places. But yeah, I'll take it, and it was nice to score for the team.

20:34Yeah and obviously a few more games left now but it is a very five unbeaten in the league now it must give all of you players so much confidence Yeah five games unbeaten is unbelievable it's kind of what Charlton did in it just a few more but no it's exciting I think we're in a really good position obviously we've got plenty more games and they're all important so we can't drop any points and hopefully we don't I think we've got a great team and we can do it

21:02Ross Halls:Great talk there from Lucy Really good chat with you, Tom. I want to talk, actually, about just who stood out from you, the new signings. But as you said off record, they've all pretty much made an impact. I want to give a shout-out, though, to Colette Kavanagh. I've really been impressed by her because she's just a battling midfielder. She just gets stuck in. I like to see, as I said earlier in this chat, she took a shot from outside the box at the crossbar, and that was a great goal. you know midfield partner Kit Graham is impressed as well she of course had some terrible times with injuries you know suffering two ACL injuries and she's now starting which is incredible you know she's obviously a really experienced player at this level and the WSL as well but two really experienced players in that midfield which is good but who's impressed for you so far?

21:54Yeah those two as you say I think they've both come in and done done really well Malay Kamina has done really well as well. Every time I've seen her play, she was involved in the goal against Newcastle. I think it was when she played through. Sophie Peskitt had a really big role against Durham at the weekend as well. So she's been really good. And I think Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, the woman we just heard from there, I think she's filled a gap which I think needed to be filled on that left wing. you know there was a few players that have played there this season so far but someone who's left footed you know that is her natural position I think it was really important to get someone like her in and she's been really good when you know when she has played she's she's quick she's you know good at delivering she knows when to sort of play the ball and when to try and win corners and things like that and I mean she got her first goal so that'll only give her confidence going forward.

22:59Obviously, there's a few that we haven't yet seen, which I'm sure we will, as they'll be needed coming up. But I'd say that those two are my two. But Ava Baker as well obviously deserves a big shout-out. Obviously, it takes a lot, I think, to come into Ipswich Town and replace Sophie Peskett and be chosen to start ahead of her. So she was really good against Durham. She's quick and, you know, she's not afraid to get involved with tackles either and track back. Saw that quite a bit against Durham. Unselfish as well, could have easily, you know, taken a few of those shots on and, you know, messed them up or scored them.

23:47But she chose the sensible option both times and, you know, laid it on a plate for her teammates. So, yeah, I think everyone that we've seen from the January signings have made a real impact on this team. And, you know, them, along with the work that David's done with them, has, you know, is the reason why they've turned such a corner since the start of the year. and the new technical director, Sean Burt. He really deserves a lot of praise for the work that he did do in January.

24:28Ross Halls:Yeah, I think this team needed some injection of new signings and some new faces and really have impressed. We're going to hear now from David. We spoke to him after the game, talking about the game as a whole. He's unbeaten a run because he's unbeaten in five league games. He's lost one game, that was the FA Cup. but that's a cup competition but it's all about the league and yeah, he's not dropped any points. Well, he draw games but you know what I mean. He's had a really good start in the dugout so let's hear from David. So David, another three points for the team. What were your assessments on today?

25:03Yeah, I thought we started the game really well especially the first 45 minutes. I thought we looked really dangerous. I think we controlled the threat that Durham had really well. There was always going to be a moment in the game where the momentum turned, which it did. Obviously, I'm really pleased with the fact that in terms of, for them, they had to score an absolute will to score, which sometimes you can't do anything about. But in terms of in general play, I thought we defended really well and we stayed connected throughout the 90 minutes. and we always carried that threat in attack all the way through.

25:46Yeah, and going back to the goals, it was a combination of Kit Graham, Ava Baker and then whoever scored. It was a fully changed front five, if you want, and midfielders as well. Oh, new signings from January as well. How have they sort of clicked together and why did you feel like that was the team that you wanted to go with? I think it was great. I think that's the squad we've got now, is in the strength and depth in the squad, which, you know, for myself, looking at the team, I've got so many options now, a lot of quality within it, so whichever front line or midfield pairing or back four or goalkeeper that we decide as a staff to play, I think there's quality right throughout, which gives us it's really positive to have that even in the changes all of a sudden I can bring the likes of Tash on Sophie Peskett on Lucy O 'Brien on these are quality players to have that it's really exciting yeah and that's now five unbeaten in the league and still unbeaten under you in the league as well second win as the manager, you must be really pleased with how things are going.

27:10Yeah, so pleased I mean it's, you know since the moment I've come in the girls have been great, week in week out, on the training ground, they've been great application, they want to learn, they want to get better the group's solid all together, pulling in the right direction so it's, yeah it's been great And obviously a couple of tough tests coming up next, Nottingham Forest away and then Southampton at Portman Road maybe a bit early to be thinking about Portman Road but you must be excited to you know for the team to get out there and play in front of you know probably what's going to be quite a high number of people yeah obviously we'll go Forest I think we'll be at the city ground there so that'll be that'll be really good pictures pictures beautiful it's a great stadium you know they're they're a good team very good team carry carry a lot of a lot of threat within that.

28:03So we'll go away, we'll enjoy today. And then when we're back in Tuesday, we'll start looking ahead to next Sunday, start putting a plan together, have a good week's training and then go to the city ground full of confidence.