Ipswich Town Women will aim to be competitive and exciting to watch ahead of their maiden season in WSL 2, according to captain Maria Boswell.

The Blues are set to embark on a campaign in the second tier of women’s football for the first time after their long-awaited second promotion in five years last term.

The WSL 2, which has been rebranded from the Women’s Championship this year, will feature 12 teams in which Joe Sheehan’s side will do battle over the course of the next eight months.

“I think it’s just about being really competitive,” Boswell said when asked about the ambitions for the season ahead. “We want to go to places and give people really good games and get results and put out good performances that the fans are going to want to come back and watch.

“It’s a new league, it’s about establishing ourselves and ultimately being really competitive in this new league.

“It’s a higher league, it’s new opposition, every single team is now professional or at least mostly professional. It’s going to be a step up, especially physically.

“It’s a league that I’ve never played in before, but I’ve played in league games or pre-season games against WSL 2 teams and it is a step up, they’re very organised and it’s one of those things where if you switch off against them for a second, then you do usually get punished.

“It’s just about staying dialled in and being ready for whatever the game brings us.”

Town begin their season with a trip to Southampton on Saturday, but among their away trips this season will be Newcastle United, Sunderland and Durham, with the division no longer regionalised at this level.

“We’ve experienced long journeys before — Cardiff, Exeter, Cheltenham and those sorts of ones,” Boswell said. “But going up to the north-east three times this season is going to be challenging.

“We always prepare fully, always go up the night before and make sure we get in the right mentality. We have all the recovery things we need and really try and prepare well for those long away trips.”

In terms of the attention and spotlight more nationally, the second tier is a reasonable jump from where the Blues have competed in the past, but Boswell says that aspect is something she and her teammates have enjoyed.

She said: “It’s a lot more full on, that side of things, but I’ve enjoyed it. We had the media day for WSL 2 at St George’s Park and that was really fun, getting to see a few of the other players from other teams and just doing things I’m not really used to.

“It’s a nice little extra part of it that we haven’t been used to in the National League. We had the league come into the training ground and do a media day here with photoshoots with all the girls, it’s something that everyone’s enjoyed and relishing.”

Town can also begin to get used to playing at major stadiums on a more frequent basis, with the majority of WSL 2 sides using Football League grounds as their main home, including St Mary’s this weekend.

Boswell admits it will be exciting to play at such prestigious venues, comparing that to some of the non-league pitches that the Blues had become accustomed to in the third tier.

“It’s going to be a really nice thing this year to be able to play on such nice pitches, such nice facilities, and hopefully draw in bigger crowds,” the 22-year-old said.

“The away following we’re going to have at Southampton is going to be great, it’s going to be a nice occasion for everyone. It does suit the type of way that we like to play, so it’s only going to benefit us.

“We’re all really ready to be playing at such nice grounds and stadiums. Quite a few of us have played at St Mary’s before, it’s such a nice stadium, quite a big pitch which I think is going to help us.

“Especially the way we wanted to play in tier three, if you do turn up to a pitch that is a bit hilly or a bit bumpy, the one that sticks out to me last season was the Hashtag one at Canvey, that was quite a dodgy pitch.

“To try and play the way you ideally want to play, it does sometimes get determined by the pitch and we have to prepare differently to how we would maybe usually prepare and change the way we were possibly planning on playing. To maybe not experience that sort of challenge this year is going to be quite nice.”

The Blues themselves are also set to have a change of home, having previously played their home fixtures at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe.

Now, Sheehan’s side will play at the JobServe Community Stadium, the home of Colchester United, and Boswell is unsure as to how big an effect that may have.

She said: “I don’t know. It’s one of those that we’re going to have to see, but it’s only a positive thing. It’s a lovely pitch, hopefully more fans, the location is just off the A12 which I think is more accessible for people, only positive things.

“I’m really excited to have our first home game there against Forest. We had a little walk around the other day to get a feel for it for the changing rooms and the pitch. It was nice to see our new home and get a feel for it.”

It was announced earlier this week that sportswear brand Nike will continue their sponsorship deal with the WSL that will provide free boots to players in both the top flight and second tier of the women’s game.

“You might see a few more skills from me, I might turn into Sophie Peskett,” Boswell joked about her new footwear. “I’ve really enjoyed the new boots, I used to be a black boot kind of girl and over the last couple of seasons I was wearing pink boots last year for studs and moulds.

“I get a bit of stick for it, centre-halves shouldn’t be having these bright pink boots but I like it. My new ones are actually the Phantoms so the light blue ones, I’ve dulled it down a little bit.

“For a football player, boots are the most important thing and they’re not cheap these days, so for Nike to provide every player in WSL 2 and WSL with a good supply of boots and a good range in any size you need is just another thing that we don’t have to worry about. It’s just a really good step forward for the leagues.”

On her pastime of playing golf, Boswell added: “I played a little bit over the summer. I’m not particularly good, but it’s something I used to do when I was little.

“In the off-season, a few of the girls enjoy it as well so we end up trying to do a round of golf. Me and Nat [Negri] actually quit on the sixth hole on one course because we were playing so bad. I was like ‘Nat, we’re losing too many balls here, this is ridiculous’.

“I haven’t actually played since we’ve come back because it’s so full on, and in off days I like to chill at home or go to my mum and dad’s. I haven’t played too much, will probably get down the golfing range a little bit but I’m also very much a fair-weather golfer, I won’t be going outside in the winter.”

Photo: TWTD

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