Ipswich must keep 'foot on gas' in title race - Sheehan

Joe Sheehan has been in charge of Ipswich for six years

Ipswich Town boss Joe Sheehan has urged his team not to regard their superior goal difference as a buffer as they look to seal promotion to the Championship.

Town are three points clear at the top of Women's National League Southern Premier with two games to play and their goal difference of plus 60 is 27 better than rivals Hashtag United.

Sheehan's side were beaten 1-0 at Watford last weekend, only their second league defeat of the campaign, but travel to bottom club MK Dons on Sunday - a team that have only managed one point from 20 games and let in 106 goals.

"With the goal difference, we probably need to win one more game and we don't circle what game we think that's going to happen (in)," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I don't think we're seeing a team at the moment that is conscious of the position and therefore hiding within themselves."

Hashtag are the only other team, apart from Watford, to beat Ipswich this term but they have the harder run-in - and only the champions will go up to the women's second tier for next season.

Following the game at MK Dons, Town will be at home to eighth-placed Cheltenham Town on 27 April, while Hashtag must take on Exeter City and Oxford United in their final two matches, who are third and fifth.

"We've almost earned the opportunity to get beat but that doesn't give us any reason to be complacent or take our foot off the gas. We want to try and perform and win all of our games that we play," said Sheehan.

"We will prepare to face the best possible version of MK Dons and I won't have anyone tell me their league position or how they've been getting on because our focus will be on giving them the respect they absolutely deserve. It's up to us to perform and do all we can to try and win that game.

"Without emphasising what might be at stake or what we're trying to do, it's just about preparing to try and be good on that day. Hopefully with that kind of process, the players are calm and prepared and consistent and our ability and preparation will shine through when it matters on game day."