The Lasses got off to the perfect start when Beth Lumsden lobbed Natalia Negri from an improbably distance on her milestone 50th appearance, although it was only good enough for a point due to Sophie Peskett’s equaliser late in the first half.
Despite United pushing and playing some neat football between both boxes, they were thanking Anna Tamminen with minutes left to play after a stunning added-time save.
Three changes from Tanya Oxtoby saw Freya Gregory, who got an assist off the bench last week, Charlotte Wardlaw and Jasmine McQuade come into the starting lineup, with their impacts being felt immediately.
It was the perfect start for the Lasses with Lumsden, making her 50th appearance for the club, who pulled a strike right out of the top drawer.
After a neat one-two with Jordan Nobbs, she shifted the ball down the right-hand side, and after a glance towards goal and right on the touchline, Lumsden lobbed Natalia Negri to a rapture of noise in the stands.
United refused to let up following Lumsden’s goal, and Emily Murphy almost got on the scoresheet on the half hour mark, but after meeting Aoife Mannion’s looping cross, her header lacked power and was easily gathered by Negri.
It wasn’t just from open play where Newcastle looked dangerous, with Molly Pike’s lofted delivery only punched by Negri to Gregory, but the ball wouldn’t come down in time for the Scotland international, who sliced over from inside the box.
Despite the Lasses’ dominant display, a swift counter-attack from the visitors unleashed Peskett, who faked to shoot and cut inside the sliding Kaitlyn Torpey, before calmly finding the bottom corner with their first shot on target.
A much slower second half saw United dominate possession but create very little in the way of clear-cut chances, with Negri not doing much more than collect crosses and shots straight at her.
Although the second half was largely played in Ipswich’s half, it was the Tractor Girls who had the golden chance to snatch all three when Rianna Dean was slipped through one-on-one with just Tamminen to beat, but United’s Finnish international saved her side a point.
Newcastle United Women: Anna Tamminen, Charlotte Wardlaw, Jordan Nobbs, Jemma Purfield, Molly Pike, Freya Gregory (Oona Sevenius 62), Kaitlyn Torpey (Demi Stokes 62), Jasmine McQuade (Lois Joel 46), Aoife Mannion (c), Beth Lumsden (Emilia Larsson 75), Emily Murphy (Shania Hayles 62)
Subs not used: Claudia Moan, Małgorzata Grec, Ashanti Akpan, Jorja Fox
