Ipswich progressed 'in leaps and bounds' - Peake

Ipswich Town defender Paige Peake says the club is "unrecognisable" from the one she left three years ago after scoring in their first victory at WSL 2 level.

Peake converted from the penalty spot with nine minutes remaining at Colchester's Jobserve Community Stadium - Town's new home for this season - as they came out on top 3-2.

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The 22-year-old began her career in the Ipswich academy before leaving for Southampton in 2022, but returned to the club in the summer.

"I've been away for three years but it doesn't feel like that at all. When I first came back it felt like I'd never been away. I love this club, and this town and I'm very much enjoying it at the moment," she told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"It's world's apart (from how it was when I left), it's unrecognisable but also the same core culture, beliefs and desire, is still there. It's come on leaps and bounds and hopefully it continues in that trajectory."

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Ipswich reached the second tier by winning the Women's National League Southern Premier title last season but began the campaign with back-to-back defeats before drawing at Charlton last weekend.

They took the lead against Portsmouth through Rianna Dean, but found themselves 2-1 down before a header by Jamaica international Natasha Thomas and Peake's spot kick secured the three points.

"I always feel confident when I step up (for a penalty), I practise them and know that if I hit my spot well it's going to go in. She went the wrong way but I executed it how I wanted to," Peake said.

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"I felt like we were always going to win it, I don't know why - sometimes you have that feeling. It was a heated game and both teams were desperate to win and thankfully we were the team that won it in the end.

"The first win is always the hardest, I know when I was at Southampton for the first season in this league, it is a bit of a pressure and you want to get it done as soon as possible or the weight grows, so it's very important."

Peake's centre-back partnership with skipper Maria Boswell - who was a right-back when she was previously at the club - is developing.

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And she believes the players remaining from last season's promotion side, also including Thomas and Sophie Peskett - who provided two assists - have a vital role.

"We'd not played centre-halves together before, although we've played in the back line, but we know each other very well so that always helps and I think we complement each other," Peake said of Boswell.

"I think it's always important to keep a core group of four or five players together that know the culture, the club, what it means and they can pass that on to everyone else that comes in.

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"I went away for three years but those guys that got the job done with the promotion, they deserve it and hopefully we can continue reaping the rewards."

Ipswich face a trip to Sheffield United on Sunday and Peake added: "We're four games in so we can't rest on our laurels, this isn't one win and done, we've got to keep going now. It's a long season."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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