Ipswich Town Secures FA Cup Fourth Round Spot Against Manchester City

Sophie Peskett became the first professional player to sign for Ipswich in 2021. Ipswich Town has secured a Women’s FA Cup fourth-round fixture against three-time champions Manchester City, following their 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at Felixstowe. Sophie Peskett netted the decisive goal just before half-time, assisted by Kyra Robertson. Peskett also struck the crossbar on two occasions during the game. Joe Sheehan’s team currently competes in the National League Southern Premier, a division two tiers below the Women’s Super League (WSL). Manchester City, a WSL club, recently experienced a 2-1 defeat against Everton on Sunday. In previous seasons, Ipswich has been eliminated in the fourth round, losing to Charlton Athletic and Lewes. However, in 2022, they advanced to the quarter-finals before a 1-0 defeat by WSL team West Ham. Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Peskett commented, “Man City are a top, top team in the WSL, so it’s obviously going to be a really hard game but, as an individual, I’m really excited to see how far we’ve come over the last four or five years.” The two clubs previously faced each other in the fifth round of the 2019-20 season. In that match, Ipswich, then playing a tier below their current level, suffered a 10-0 loss. Manager Sheehan stated, “It will be a special occasion.” He added, “There would have been some easier ties that would have required a little less planning and preparation, but that’s the tie we’re going to have to go and face and we’re under no illusions, we know how challenging this is going to be but, for a change, it’s going to be us with nothing to lose.” Sheehan continued, “It’s an opportunity to see our level and what we still need to work on. We found out a real harsh lesson last time, but if we can be a bit more competitive, it will be a good takeaway for us.” He concluded, “There will be a bit of limelight around it that we’ll have to navigate, but when it does come around, we’ll really look forward to it.” Elsewhere in FA Cup replays, Bristol Rovers secured a 3-2 victory over Oxford United, and Blackburn Rovers triumphed 4-0 against Kidderminster Harriers. The fourth-round matches are scheduled for 12 January. Bristol Rovers will travel to face Aston Villa, while Blackburn will host Portsmouth.