Report & Highlights: Early goal earns Palace another crucial win in promotion bid
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Howat 16'
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Kirsty Howat's early goal proved to be the difference as Crystal Palace Women won 1-0 against Ipswich Town in the Barclays Women's Super League 2.
Summary:
Newell is handed her debut whilst Napier misses out with injury.
- 7: Weerden whips a ball in which Howat gets her head to, but the ball deflects away for a corner
- 16: GOAL - Weerden takes a quick corner to Howat, whose dipping effort beats Negri
- 24: Larkin has the ball in the net, but the lineswoman's flag goes up
- 30: The ball richochets favourably to Weerden whose snapshot is just over the bar
- 40: More great work from Weerden sees the ball land on the penalty spot, but no-one is there to convert
- HT: Palace 1 - 0 Ipswich
- 49: Larkin beats three defenders with a mazy run, but can't quite get her final pass right
- 53: Larkin turns and shoots in the box, but it is well held by Negri
- 66: Cheap Palace giveaway leads to a dangerous Ipswich break, but Everett is on hand to clear the danger
- 78: Dangerous Weerden free-kick is well-held by Negri
- 83: Larkin rattles the crossbar after a well-worked corner routine
- 87: Hughes heads just wide
- FT: Palace 1 - 0 Ipswich
Jo Potter's side made it an astonishing 11 wins from 13 games, after Kirsty Howat's early goal secured a 1-0 home win against Ipswich.
Ipswich pushed forward to try and grab an equaliser, but the Palace defence held on to claim another league clean sheet.
The only goal of the game came in the 16th minute, with Howat scoring her second in as many games.
Ashleigh Weerden took a corner short to Howat, and after a quick one-two, the Scotland international let fly from around 18 yards out.
Her effort proved too high for Negri and dipped just under the bar, giving the Eagles an early lead.
The goal also marked Weerden's ninth league assist of the season, drawing her level with Kosovare Asllani's record that was set in the then-named Women's Championship last year.
It was a close second-half, with Ipswich pushing more players forward to try and find an equaliser.
Palace still broke with regularity however, with Abbie Larkin going close twice within the first 15 minutes of the second-half.
Ipswich also came close to scoring too, with Aimee Everett recovering well to stop a dangerous counter-attack on the 66th minute.
Larkin could have put the game to bed on 83 minutes, but the Ireland international was denied by the crossbar.
Palace were happy to keep the ball for the closing stages, denying Ipswich any significant chances in the final few minutes.
After four minutes of added time elapsed, the whistle blew and Palace moved one step closer to the promotion playoff.
The Eagles remain third in the WSL2, with just three points required for Palace to confirm a promotion playoff spot.
Many players in Potter's side are now set to go away for the April international break, before they return on Sunday, 26th April with a trip to Sunderland.
Following that will be the final game of the regular season - Portsmouth at home on the 2nd May.
Kicking off at 15:00 at the VBS Community Stadium, tickets are available via the button below!
Palace: Yañez (GK), Cato, Everett, Sharpe, Howat (Hughes, 73), Weerden, Ladd, Blanchard (Brown, 73), Newell, Larkin, Swaby
Subs not used: Annets, Arthur, Brady, Nolan, Littlejohn
Ipswich: Negri (GK), Boswell, Mitchell, Graham, Peskett (Baker, 67), Cavanagh (O'Brien, 67), Roe (Dean, 83), Weir, Peake, Ashworth-Clifford, Ademeiluyi (Thomas, 72)
Subs not used: Hartley (GK), Neville, Lasova, Wearing, Meena