A battling performance in the howling wind and never-ending rain saw Charlton's women secure a point against a rejuvenated Ipswich Town, coming from behind to draw 1-1.
The draw extended the unbeaten run to 27 games, and the lead at the top to nine points.
The initial goings were cagey, with the only real chance falling for Charlton in the first 10 when a dangerous corner from Katie Bradley was flapped at by Ipswich goalkeeper Natalia Negri. Sadly, in the chaos, an Addicks player couldn’t get to the ball before it was cleared.
Ipswich started to exert pressure from there and a minute after Ava Baker had jinked into the box and got a shot, that was well blocked, before Charlton conceded a penalty. A lobbed ball saw Elisha N’Dow adjudged to have connected with Lucy O’Brien. Paige Peake stepped up for Ipswich and dispatched the spot-kick low to Sophie Whitehouse’s left.
Ipswich had the best of the first half from there, but Charlton slowly got back into the game with their first shot on target in the 30th minute by Bradley. A couple of minutes later, the Addicks worked the ball forward well and Charlotte Newsham found Karin Muya free after a one-two in the box, but her shot was closed down and fell back to her. She played in Jodie Hutton on the left side of the box, but she sliced her shot way over.
The game sparked into life in the dying embers of the first half for the Addicks with two chances in quick succession. First, Lucy Fitzgerald got her maiden chance of the game, hitting the crossbar from the penalty spot with a header, before Muya was played in on the right of the box by Gillian Kenney, but she drove her shot against the side-netting.
A half-time change saw club captain Kiera Skeels come on for Lucia Lobato and that seemed the catalyst for a strong start to the second half, with the team pressing high and full of energy. Despite the early pressure, the best early chance fell to Princess Asemiluyi for the hosts in the 58th minute when a free-kick from the half-way line found her in the box before Whitehouse could get there. Luckily, her headed effort missed the target.
Ipswich were causing the Addicks trouble from then, but the ever-dependable Whitehouse kept the game to 1-0 with a great save from Sophie Peskett, when the midfielder had a clear shot at goal from just inside the box.
On 70 minutes, Emma Bissell and Katie Lockwood came on and reignited the attacking threat for Charlton, with Bissell have a dangerous cross scooped up by Negri almost immediately.
Finally, the Addicks found the equaliser in the 82nd minute when the ball was recycled to the right wing for Newsham to swing in a delightful cross that found Kenney’s head, and the ball found in the net. That was Kenney’s second goal in two games.
Despite late pressure, the game ended with the spoils shared and both teams believing they should have won.
Charlton: Whitehouse, Newsham, Mason, N’Dow, Bradley, Kenney, Fitzgerald (Thestrup 82), Hutton (McAteer 82), Muya (Bissell 70), Lobato (Skeels 45), Flannery (Lockwood 70)
Subs (not used): Pedersen, Ross, Pearse, Waldie
Goal: Kenney 82
Booked: Bradley 76 (foul on Mitchell), Lockwood 88 (foul on Ademiluyi)
Ipswich: Negri, Boswell, Mitchell (Cavanagh 82), Dean (Ademiluyi 45), O’Brien (Thomas 59), Graham (Meena 59), Peskett, Wearing, Roe, Peake, Baker (Ashworth-Clifford 70)
Subs (not used): Hartley, Flemming, Las, Weir
Goal: O’Brien 18 (pen)
Booked: Baker 32 (kicking the ball away), Cavanagh 90 (dissent)
Referee: Jodie Hunter
