'Preventable' goals costing Ipswich - Sheehan

Natasha Thomas (right) takes on Newcastle United's Beth Lumsden

Manager Joe Sheehan says Ipswich Town are being tested as never before as they continue trying to come to terms with Women's Super League 2.

Town won 17 out of 22 matches last season, losing only two, as they claimed promotion to the second tier of the women's game.

But they are currently bottom of the table with only four points from seven games following Sunday's 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle United.

"We're having to play considerably better than we ever have," Sheehan told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"In seasons gone by, we would have had a squad that could have performed at six or seven out of 10 and it would have been a pretty convincing win - now, the majority of our players being six or seven out of 10 doesn't even get us a point.

"We're having to deal with a different type of threat that we haven't been used to."

Sheehan - who has been in charge since February 2019 - described the result against Newcastle as a "bruising scoreline". His side's total of 18 goals conceded is the highest in the division, while their six scored is the lowest.

He said too many of the goals by opposition teams had been "preventable" and the result of "poor decisions and poor actions" at crucial times.

"They [goals conceded] are just killing us at the moment because they aren't allowing us to build on any good work (by us)," Sheehan continued.

"It's about understanding who's job is what, being more clear on responsibilities, being better at defending crosses, getting better contact on headers and (better) distances, and making sure that when we're clearing the ball, it's going miles away and not dropping into an area that we need to defend again."

Despite Ipswich's current position, Sheehan said the character within the group was "really strong".

He added: "It's up to us as players, as staff, as a collective to improve. That happens on reflection (on games), happens on the training pitch, happens in small groups, in individual conversations, recognising things that we have to be better at.

"We need everybody absolutely at it, close to their maximum every week to give ourselves a chance of winning games."

Ipswich are away to third-placed Bristol City in their next game on Sunday.

And captain Maria Boswell insists there are positive signs from their performances so far, despite the lack of points.

"Our work-rate, desire, passion, courage, that's not in question - the girls go out there every week and put their hearts and bodies on the line and play for the badge," she said.

"It's just about being more clinical and being more resilient in defence and not being as easy to score against."

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed