That shows we can beat the best - Dan (From Daily Echo)

That shows we can beat the best - Dan

8:09am Monday 15th March 2010 in

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Dan Harding insists Saints have shown they can beat any team in League One – but now they have to prove they can win consistently.

Recent wins against the top two – Norwich and Leeds – and a 5-0 caning of play-off hopefuls Huddersfield have shown just what a force Saints are to be reckoned with on their day.

But inconsistencies, such as the defeat at Tranmere and draws at two other relegation candidates Exeter and Wycombe, show they are not quite the finished article yet when it comes to the kind of form that wins promotions.

Saints boss Alan Pardew has stressed that consistency is now the vital ingredient for Saints.

That is a view echoed by Harding, whose goal earned Saints victory against Leeds at St Mary’s.

The left-back, pictured celebrating above, said: “We set out to show everyone what a good team we are and hopefully we’ve done that. We feel we can beat the best in the league and now we have to show we can do it week in and week out.

“We have another game Tuesday to prove that and hopefully we can get another three points and another good performance.

“We wanted to put the disappointment of last week behind us and we did.

“We showed both sides of our game and the creative players we have dug in and it’s pleasing for us as a back five they can do that.”

Harding had a fairly unhappy time at Leeds as a player where he didn’t get much of a chance.

He was signed from Brighton for £850,000 in the summer of 2005 but only made 20 Championship appearances for the club – one of which came in at St Mary’s when Leeds came from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Harry Redknapp’s Saints 4-3.

He insists his memories of his time at Elland Road didn’t make his winner any sweeter.

“It wasn’t so much scoring against Leeds, it was getting the win that was more important for me,” said the left back.

“The fact it was against one of my old clubs is irrelevant really.

“I don’t get in the box very often and luckily it landed at my feet, it was only two yards out and I managed to put it in.”

Remarkably, it was the second time in two seasons that Harding had come back to haunt Leeds – he scored the winner against them for Southend in October 2008 while on loan to the Essex club from Ipswich!

Harding had to wait for his chance to get back in the side after a short illness let in Joseph Mills in January.

But he feels the period on the sidelines has done him good.

“I was having to watch from the bench and it made me hungry to be back in the team and I’d like to think it’s made me a better player.”

He added: “The fans have been fantastic, away from home as well when we’ve maybe let ourselves down a bit.

“On Saturday it was another packed house and the players get an extra buzz.

“It’s adding to our game.”