OXFORD United Women suffered back-to-back defeats with an enthralling 4-2 loss away against Ipswich Town.
The U’s were beaten 2-0 away to Hashtag United in a top of the table clash last weekend, and lost further ground to top spot with the defeat against Ipswich.
United sit third in Southern Premier Division, four points adrift of both new leaders Ipswich and second-placed Hashtag.
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The U’s took the lead just after the quarter of an hour mark at Ipswich, as Ruby Sealey drove down the wing and cut the ball back for Zoe Barratt, who slotted in.
The home side levelled the game with 24 minutes on the clock though, when Maisy Barker found Shauna Guyatt with a cutback.
Neat play from United saw them restore their lead only a couple of minutes later though, doing so as Leah Burridge finished off the move with a lovely strike.
Ipswich grabbed an almost immediate equaliser though, as Lucy O’Brien cut inside and fired an effort into the top corner from outside the penalty box, ensuring the game was 2-2 at half-time.
The hosts nudged in front with just under 20 minutes to go, when a corner routine found Maria Boswell, who flicked the ball home at the near post.
Ipswich then ensured the three points in stoppage time, when a counter-attack led to O’Brien running half the length of the pitch before applying the finish.
U’s manager Sam Rose said: “It was a right old ding-dong, a good game and a good advert for this level of football.
“They’re a good side and it was the craziest first 20 or 25 minutes of a football match I’ve been involved in.
“We went 1-0 up, got pegged back 1-1, went 2-1 up, got pegged back 2-2, and then went in at half-time at 2-2.
“We were really pleased with the first half. Obviously not pleased at not managing to hold onto a lead, but I was pleased with how we went about it.
“There are differences between our programme and theirs. These are full-time players, and it does show.
“For our group to come and put their best foot forward and compete with that, they’ve managed to do that, and I think the way they approached it was absolutely spot on.
“In the second half, we got done on a corner, and we’re chasing. It’s ultimately meant that we’re having to find a way back into the game, which is the disappointing thing, particularly the nature of the third goal.”
United are next in action on Sunday when they host Watford in the second round of the FA Cup.