YOU JUST can’t underestimate the change in mindset that breaking into the top six could bring to Saints.

Winning breeds confidence but so also do the rewards that you get from it.

In Saints’ case the reward for their recent run of one defeat in nine and five wins out of six – including four on the spin at St Mary’s – is a place in the top six for the first time since they were relegated to the third tier of English football.

Nigel Adkins’ stated aim has been to make sure his side are in the race come January and then once the second half of the campaign starts to try and put their foot down and accelerate for the finishing line.

For Saints getting into the position of being well and truly in the race has been a more arduous road to travel than they would have imagined at the beginning of the season.

But suddenly they are in the play-off zone.

It could trigger a different mentality for Saints.

Swagger It can lift a team to feel that suddenly they are the ones who should have the swagger in their stride. The table backs up the belief Saints have in their ranks that they should be getting promoted this season.

It can also of course eventually come to put a little extra pressure on.

Being the club chasing can be easier than being up there to be shot at.

However, with all the expectation at Saints this season it would be a surprise if that were the case – losing when you’re expected to be winning is far harder to deal with and they have already seemingly come through that phase.

Also much of that pressure shouldn’t come on until the home straight if they are in a position to win the race.

At the moment Saints are dealing with everything put in front of them.

Of course they should be beating Dagenham & Redbridge at home but they were still plucky opponents and needed putting away no matter what the respective league positions.

Saints started the game well on top and got the early goal that always makes such a difference to them at home on 11 minutes.

It owed a fair deal to fortune as Alex Chamberlain, who put in an outstanding display of pacy wing play that showed his growing maturity, burst down the right wing and tried to chip a cross into the area.

Flapped However, it drifted towards goal and keeper Chris Lewington, called in for his league debut only after the veteran Tony Roberts was injured in the warm-up, had a moment to forget.

He flapped at the ball and virtually pushed into the net to give Saints the lead.

Saints looked like they might run away with it before Dagenham started to get a little pressure themselves as they played a far more attacking game than many visitors to St Mary’s this season.

Kelvin Davis had to tip Gavin Tomlin’s 25-yard screamer onto the top of the bar and over before the same man found himself with a free header at the far post from a corner but put his effort straight into the ground and it bounced over the bar.

But any Saints worries were settled on 38 minutes when Chamberlain got his and Saints’ second.

Genuine It was not that dissimilar to the first, only this time it was a genuine shot that again caught Lewington out and dropped over his head and into the net.

The second half started off in a similar vein to much of the first – Saints were in control for the most part and the question was when they would get another goal rather than if.

It took just 11 minutes after the restart for the third to go in.

Adam Lallana showed quick feet and great balance to dart past a couple of challenges on the right before squaring the ball to Lee Barnard who, just like against Notts County, got himself in the right place at the right time to turn home from inside the six yard box.

The chances kept on coming for Saints.

Rickie Lambert side footed a first time effort from Dean Hammond’s right wing cross wide of the far post before Adkins had the luxury of giving both his strikers a rest for the final 26 minutes.

One of the men that replaced them, Nicholas Bignall, came close after Richard Chaplow’s effort from outside the box was only parried by Lewington.

However, the fourth was not far away as Chamberlain, down the left this time, stood up a terrific cross from that Jose Fonte attacked and powered home a far post header from close range for 4-0.

Bignall proved a handful for Dagenham and came close again on 79 minutes with a powerful long range drive that was pushed away by Lewington before heading wide from ten yards out when he should have done better.

It didn’t make any difference though - the win was already assured, as was Saints’ place in the top six.

They are back in the race.