First, a word on our sponsors. Our Platinum Sponsor SEVEN continues to lead the line, and they’ve now been joined by a fine cohort of pitchside supporters: Lanman, Clientshare, The Suffolk Escape, and Brooks Leney are soon to follow. It’s heartening to see such enthusiasm for our club, and I’ve no doubt the momentum will carry us through the season.

A gentle request to all members, if I may. Two things:

1. Please keep your antennae up for potential sponsors - be they local businesses, larger firms, or anything in between. Every bit of support helps.
2. This is your club. Let’s continue to treat it with the pride it deserves.

A word of thanks to those who attended the M1–3 curry night at TR. The venue was left in pristine condition the next morning though I suspect a few heads were not. It’s a small but telling example of the respect we show for our home. Let’s keep it that way. And if you’ve ideas for improvements be it a fresh coat of paint, a new picture on the wall, or (dare I say) my ongoing campaign for stout and ale on tap, do speak up. It’s your club, after all.

Turning to matters on the pitch, I’ll be sharing a full update on the juniors later this week. For now, a glance at the adult fixtures from the weekend.

It was a challenging round for the women’s section, with the W1s taking a point but the Women's 5s had an impressive 3-1 win with goals from Ro (2) and Chan (1). Welcome back Ro! That said, the section is in a period of transition, an exciting one, with six teams and a growing membership. Injuries have been cruel, and numerous. The W6 and W1s reports follow below.

On the men’s side, the M2s fell short in a top-of-the-table clash with IES 1s, and the M3s were unable to secure three points in a key relegation battle. The M1s, however, returned to winning ways at home and are 2 points off top (report below), and it was encouraging to see victories for both the M4s and M5s. The M6 development side narrowly lost 1–2. Credit to Dave and all the captains; there’s a steady hand on the tiller, and the injury list, mercifully, remains short.

That’s all for now. The weather has turned after a glorious weekend, wrap up warm, and best of blue for your matches ahead.

M1 W4-1
M2 L1-3
M3 D2-2
M4 W4-0
M5 W3-0
M6 L1-2

W1 D2-2
W2 L1-2
W3 L1-6
W4 L1-3
W5 W3-1
W6 L0-7

Women's 1s: Comeback for the draw.

Ipswich hosted Upminster at Tuddenham Road. Upminster came out loud, taking full advantage of early pressure to establish a 2–0 lead. Their goals left Ipswich with plenty to do heading into the latter stages of the game. Despite the setback, Ipswich refused to let the game slip away, gradually settling into their rhythm and showing growing confidence in possession.

The afternoon wasn’t without its challenges. The now-called “centre-back curse” continued to haunt Ipswich, with Charlotte Satchwell sidelined due to appendicitis. Fearless youngster, Maisie Debenham bravely stepped into the role, showing great promise before being forced off after taking a heavy hit that ruled her out of the second half.

Ipswich’s first goal came from great building attacking play, corner after corner until a corner won by Esther Sheldon, got converted with Taylor Ball scoring in the second phase off of Sophie Sexton’s shot before the third quarter was up (1-2). Ipswich kept the ball moving around and an awesome overlap and carry from Megan Palmer allowed Mariette Rix to score not only her first goal of the season but claim her first POTM title too. The final whistle came minutes too soon for Ipswich to finish off their chances. Ending in a 2-2 scoreline.

A challenging game to navigate where emotions were high and control was lacking. But despite all this; the defensive reshuffle and early setbacks, Ipswich’s resilience shone through. Their second-half performance showcased teamwork, determination, and composure under pressure — a testament to the squad’s depth and spirit.

A special mention has to go to debutant GK Emma Kwan. A strong performance from her allowed the team to keep in the game and not miss out on points. We wish Charlotte Satchwell and Ali Barham a speedy recovery from their surgeries this week.

Going into next week, Ipswich go back on the road and head up to their first Cambridge visit for their final Cambridge side first meet. Cambridge city’s 3s they face. Hoping and praying for a week of no injuries…

Men’s 1st XI
After a draw last week to Harleston the Men’s 1st team were looking to get back to winning ways on the home stage against Broxbourne with some crucial points on offer

After T’s Beyblades caught the team’s attention the Men’s 1s swiftly brought it back to the game with Ipswich starting on the front foot, pressing the opposition hard and to good effect. Some early chances came knocking, and it was only a matter of time before Cook opened the scorecard.

Not long after, our very own Wiid converted a penalty corner with a rifling flick. To round out the second quarter, Lyne sent a long ball into the D, that King dispatched with composure to make it 3-0 before half time.

The third quarter brought a slight dip. This is something that the team are learning to deal with, they happen, and we endeavour to weather the storm, and even dance in the rain… on this occasion we managed perhaps more of a slight jig in a puddle, but progress nonetheless. A green for Fry and a green for Lyne, something that his tastebuds would pay the price for later that evening.

In the final quarter, Ipswich kept pilling on the pressure, wanting more. Many more chances came in front of goal but to no avail. Keeping composed and delivering a standout game was our youngster Ben Bastow, who played the midfield like a true professional. Earning himself Man of the Match, and his first taste of 0% Guinness.

Still searching for goals, a miss trap from the opposition defence left Ward in the D with only the keeper to beat. Take a touch? Dribble round the keeper? How about leathering a first time shot, followed by the textbook celebration. Naturally Ward chose the latter. Unfortunately, the team still dazzled by this display of attacking prowess, allowed the opposition sneak in a goal just moments after, and the game came to a close at 4-1.

A good result, we continue to work on aspects of our game, but the puzzle pieces are coming together (and we are climbing the …mountain?) . On to next week.

Women’s 6th XI
Top of the table team, Harleston Magpies 5’s travelled to Tuddenham Road to take on the young Ipswich 6’s development team. This talented Ipswich team fought hard all afternoon and all Magpies goals were from open play. The first Magpies’ goal was scored in the 6th minutes, with further goals added in the 26th 28th, 32nd and 34th minutes, making a score of 5-0 at half time.

Ipswich then re-organised the defence and Magpies could only add 2 more goals I the second half in the 45th and 60th minutes. Ipswich managed to penetrate the Magpies’D and hit the post in the 55th minute.

This young and inexperienced team showed true guts and determination and kept their heads held high. There were some tremendous saves from Isla, Georgia and Lily shone in defence. The midfield trio of Annabelle (man of the match), Issy and Emilia worked hard and produced some great passing. Kassia pressed the Magpies defence and often forced them into making errors. These youngsters are ably supported by Alex, Jules, Liz and Chloe. This is really a great team which will go from strength to strength. Thanks to Gemma for helping.