Ipswich claimed a great derby win on Saturday to kick-start their season.

Ipswich Star: Action from Ipswich ladies' hockey versus Chelmsford. FL; Ipswich No 14 Chloe Williams charges up the pitch.Action from Ipswich ladies' hockey versus Chelmsford. FL; Ipswich No 14 Chloe Williams charges up the pitch. (Image: EDAT)

Once more playing on the new Rushmere “Smurf-turf”, under the floodlights, Ipswich were determined to get the three points.

Unlike last week, in the loss to Harleston Magpies, Ipswich did not get the best start and it was visitors Chelmsford that were putting the home side under early pressure but some good defending by Kat Blake and Lorna Bennell kept any threats out.

Ipswich then started to settle and they took the lead in the ninth minute. A great through ball found Leanne Penny and the Irish player headed for goal at speed.

A good initial save by the goalkeeper saw the ball spinning towards the Chelmsford line but strangely, the defender then decided to clear the ball straight back to the alert Penny and she made no mistake in lifting it home.

Ipswich were now looking good and won a corner, but the move was just off target. Chelmsford, to their credit, dug in but their habit of looking for the long ball was not paying off as Ipswich stood firm.

The second half saw Ipswich, once more, look to counter quickly and in the 43rd minute a fantastic ball from Lucy Dunnett found Penny who in turn fed Chloe Williams.

Williams drew the keeper then confidentially smashed the ball home into the bottom corner. It was 2-0 to Ipswich and things were looking good.

Chelmsford dug deep and started to pressure Ipswich more, and only a mixture of poor finishing and some great saves by Mariette Rix in goal kept them out.

But then, in the 51st minute, they pounced on a lose defensive pass and the finish left Rix with no chance.

Now it was game on and Chelmsford put a large amount of pressure on the Ipswich defence, winning eight penalty corners in total, but the hosts’ unit was fantastic and kept them out, riding their luck a bit also as the ball hit the woodwork.

Then, with time running out, Chelmsford thought they had scored but the whistle had already gone for a penalty corner, which Ipswich cleared to safety.

The last four minutes were stressful but captain Emma Millar kept the ball in the corner to frustrate the opposition even more and when vice-captain Charlie Anderson did the same on the right-hand side of the pitch, it was enough to seal the win.

Ipswich were rightly delighted and now move up to seventh in the table.

Next Saturday the team travel away to a St Albans side that incldes three England players.