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Ipswich won the WNL Southern Premier title last season by a six-point margin The change of a football competition's name can, on occasions, be cosmetic, but sometimes it provides an important spur. When Ipswich Town lifted the Women's National League Southern Premier trophy last season, after winning 17 of their 22 games and losing only two, they were heading for the Championship. Now, though, the division's new name of Women's Super League 2 underlines just how close they are to a place in the top tier. And it is not the only change Joe Sheehan's now fully professional squad are about to experience, having swapped their Martello Ground home for the last 12 years in Felixstowe for Colchester United's 10, 000-capacity Jobserve Community Stadium. That out-of-county move disappointed some fans, but for now minds are focused on a trip to another stadium three times larger on Saturday as they start their first WSL 2 campaign at Southampton. St Mary's is a place summer signings Rianna Dean - Town's new number nine - and Paige Peake know very well, having previously played for Saints. "It's something a lot of us have been thinking and dreaming about for a long time, so to finally be able to [make the] step up will be a very proud moment, " captain Maria Boswell told the BBC. 'It's good for the game' - WSL2 goes professional Minimum salaries breakthrough for WSL and WSL 2 What does promotion mean for Ipswich Town Women? Joe Sheehan was appointed Ipswich manager in February 2019 When the Ipswich men's team went up to the Championship under Kieran Mc Kenna, they continued that momentum and won promotion to the Premier League 12 months later. The women's team, though, will not be getting ahead of themselves by contemplating anything similar at this stage with manager Joe Sheehan stressing the need take the forthcoming season week-by-week. "It's a step up and there's lots of things we're going to learn about ourselves that perhaps we haven't had to experience previously. "But as a club, for some time now, we've been ready for this step up and over the first four or five games we'll get a measure of where we're at, " he said. There are tough games ahead against the likes of Crystal Palace, who are looking to bounce back following relegation last year, and last season's runners-up Birmingham City. And there is a wider geographical spread from Newcastle United, Sunderland and Durham in the north east to Southampton and Portsmouth in the south, meaning extra travelling time. "In the division we've been in previously, we've probably been the dominant team across all the metrics - tactically, technically, really strong mentality, we've physically profiled really well, said Sheehan. "Making a step up now, we're possibly not going to be that dominant team. We're hoping there'll be some areas we'll have some really good strengths in but we're going to meet teams now that are going to be really equipped across all of those things. "We're less likely to be the dominant team, but that's also an exciting thing and something we're looking forward to embracing. " Moving up a division also means new faces in the squad - eight in Ipswich's case, with midfielder Maddy Earl completing the list by joining on loan from Arsenal on Thursday. Thirteen of last season's squad were offered new deals, including last season's top scorers Sophie Peskett and Jamaica international Natasha Thomas. But understandably, they have invested in players with experience at second-tier level. As well as Dean and Peake - who has returned to Ipswich after beginning her career with the club as a junior, their summer signings have also included New Zealand international Grace Neville from London City Lionesses, former Charlton full-back Bethan Roe and ex-Sunderland midfielder Jenna Dear. Sheehan said: "You want to make sure you've got the required experience, players that have experience of the level - it gives everyone a little bit of confidence. "But also we want to make sure the players that have worked really hard to get us to this situation also deserve their opportunity to embrace this division. "It is difficult getting the balance right, but the new ones have integrated really well and there's a really strong bond between everybody, which is a really strong part of the foundation for the team. We're really happy with what we've brought in. " Maria Boswell became Ipswich captain at the end of 2023 Ipswich are a little sad to be leaving Felixstowe - the town has been "very hospitable" and provided some "really good memories", according to Sheehan, but the switch to Colchester provides an opportunity for "similar experiences". Maybe there will be further opportunities to 'go home' to Portman Road in the future, having attracted a crowd of more than 10, 800 for a match against Plymouth Argyle in March. But they have agreed to play in Essex for the next two seasons and their first home game of the new campaign is against FA WNL Cup winners Nottingham Forest on 14 September. Boswell has been alongside Sheehan for the journey and said: "We've had a very good pre-season - six weeks to get into that mentality of what this new league is going to bring. "It's a higher league, new opposition. Every single team now is mostly professional so it's going to be a step up, especially physically. They're very organised and if you switch off against them for a second you can easily get punished. "Nearly all the players we've brought in have experience at that level and have been invaluable to us with little bits of information that just give us a little idea of what we're going to be coming up against. That's been really helpful. " So what will it be like leading the team out for the first time in WSL 2? Boswell added: "I've probably spent the off-season thinking about what that moment's going to feel like and now I'm really raring to go and excited for it. " Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. 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