SAINTS defender Rosie Parnell believes her side used the hurt of defeat to title rivals Ipswich earlier in the season as “firepower” to go on and win the league.

Ipswich and Saints have locked horns three times this season, with the Tractor Girls victorious in the first league meeting at Saints’ home ground, Snows Stadium.

Their second meeting ended in dramatic fashion, with Ipswich advancing on penalties in the FA Cup after goalkeeper Kayla Rendell had forced the shootout with a last-minute equaliser in extra-time.

In the third and final fixture, Saints came back from a goal behind at half-time to eventually win 2-1 in Suffolk.

With two painful encounters with their promotion rivals, Parnell revealed to the Daily Echo that the side had used the experience as motivation to beat Ipswich, before going on to secure the FA Women’s National League south title.

Parnell told the Daily Echo: “That league game (against Ipswich) hurt.

“At the end of the game, it really hurt us.

“And we said after that game, that it was going to be good for us and probably bad for them, and I think we really used that momentum.

“When we were 1-0 down a couple of weeks ago against them, that was the message.

“Think of what it was like at Totton (Snows Stadium) and we don't want it to happen again.

“And we came out second half and change the game. It was a bit of firepower for us.”

Defeat to Ipswich in the FA Cup only came after Saints had knocked out higher opposition in the previous round.

Saints defeated second-tier Bristol City 1-0 at St Mary’s back in January, a feat made more impressive when considering that in the 20-21 season, Bristol City were a Women’s Super League side, the top-flight of the English league game.

Despite winning their division, Saints will have to defeat their northern equivalents, Wolves, in a single-match play-off to determine who will earn a spot in the Championship.

After a taste of higher-league opposition, Parnell is both confident of achieving promotion to the second-tier, as well as adjusting to the standard.

“Not only did we win that game against Bristol, kept a clean sheet, we didn't concede,” added Parnell.

“So, yeah, a lot of confidence, but we know it's going to be tough, it's going to be a big jump, but, yeah, we're ready for it.”

Saints will play Wolves in Stockport on Saturday, May 21.

Both sides lifted their third-tier titles, but with only one promotion spot available, only the winners will ply their trade in the second-tier of women’s football in England.