Ipswich Women look forward to promotion party

Ipswich Town captain Maria Boswell made her senior debut for the club in 2021

Ipswich Town captain Maria Boswell will see a four-year dream become reality when they finally seal promotion to the second tier of women's football.

Town play their final game of the Women's National League Southern Premier season against Cheltenham Town at Felixstowe on Sunday.

And they go into it three points clear of rivals Hashtag United and with a goal difference which is superior by 36.

Ipswich made the title all but certain by beating MK Dons 11-0 two weeks ago, and Boswell, 22, told BBC Radio Suffolk: "We've worked so hard throughout the season, something would have to go severely wrong for things not to go our way on Sunday.

"We allowed ourselves a little bit of time to take it all in - you don't get opportunities like this very often, to enjoy a promotion to the Championship, so when we realised what we'd done we took a moment to appreciate it and enjoy it.

"But we are very aware that we've still got one game to go and we want to win that game - we don't want to win the league on goal difference, we want to do it on points."

Ipswich have won 16 of their 21 matches this season, losing only twice, and have scored 81 goals in the process, 26 more than any other team.

Boswell's season has been disrupted by a knee injury but she was able to be involved against MK Dons.

"The knee's feeling good, feeling strong. I've had about three weeks of training now," she said.

"At that moment, I thought that was it, season done. Even going into next season I was questioning that but had my scan pretty quick, got the results of that which was very good news, but it was still in question whether I'd be able to get back for the end of the season.

"It was upsetting at the time but I made it my mission to do everything I could to get back, and I managed to do it for the last two [games]. I'm very pleased with how the recovery and the rehab went."

Sunday's match at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe is a 2,150 sellout and Ipswich are hoping for a noisy atmosphere.

"I've been at the club for six years, in and around the first team for about four years and every single year I've thought about what this day could be like," added Boswell.

"What the feeling's going to be like of arriving, seeing so many people, lifting the trophy - I've thought about it a lot and I know it's going to live up to those expectations and those dreams that I had.

"It's a sellout crowd - hopefully everyone brings the noise, brings the atmosphere and just has a really good day celebrating and enjoying the moment."