Ipswich Town Women host Southampton in a crunch first-v-second clash at the top of FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division this afternoon at the Goldstar Ground, Felixstowe (KO 2pm).
The Tractor Girls remain top of the table but with Southampton now only four points behind them with two games in hand following the Saints’ 3-0 win at Crawley Wasps on Wednesday.
A victory today would put the Blues in the box seat for the title, although with another potentially tough home game against third-placed Oxford next Sunday.
If Town do carry off the trophy, in order to reach the Women’s Championship they would then need to win a play-off against their counterparts from National League North.
Sunday’s match will be the fourth meeting between the sides this season. The Saints won a League Cup tie 1-0 at the Goldstar Ground in November, with the Blues then victorious 2-0 in the away league game at Snows Stadium later that month.
In February, Town won an FA Cup fifth round tie 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 after-extra-time draw at the Goldstar Ground.
Defender Maria Boswell, who returned to action after an ankle injury which had kept her out of action for four and a half months earlier this month, knows the importance of three points today.
"It is crucial for momentum and just belief that we can go on and win our last four games after this,” she said
"And we know that if we beat Southampton at the weekend then it really is our hands to go on and get promotion.”
She added: "I think it’ll be a tough game again and it’ll possibly take a little bit of magic to nick the game in the end.
"In the last five games it’s so important for us to go out there and get the three points no matter what. We can’t treat it any differently but there is added excitement.”