NIGEL Adkins is a man who has unswerving faith in his side – but even he might have struggled to believe Saints would adapt to life in the Championship in the manner they have.

In fairness to Adkins, he was right and many of us were wrong.

Saints clearly have carried forward more momentum from the end of last season than it seemed they might.

But to attribute that as being the only factor in Saints’ perfect start to 2011/12 would be doing the players a disservice.

The likes of Adam Lallana and David Connolly, who looked too good for League One, already look too good for the Championship.

Add to that a team we all know so much about, full of hard workers and good, solid professionals And then add Jack Cork, who looks a great signing, and Saints are flying.

A word of caution for anybody getting too carried – this is only the very start of the campaign.

If anything was won over the course of two league games and a cup match then there would be some very unlikely names on the Premier League trophy.

But for Saints, the signs are good.

Perhaps they will get more of a test at Ipswich tomorrow.

Not to detract from Saints in any way, but Leeds were a shadow of what we expected on the opening day and Barnsley…well, Barnsley were absolutely dreadful.

Ipswich, despite a home defeat to Hull on Saturday, should be there or thereabouts at the top end of the table come the final reckoning.

You would imagine travelling to Portman Road might stretch Adkins’ men a little more.

But you can only beat what’s in front of you, though, and nobody should detract from what Saints’ players and management staff have achieved so far this campaign because it has been superb, their victories emphatic.

Football is a strange old game, though, and Saints so nearly threw away the win they so deserved at Oakwell.

To say that Saints were better than Barnsley, or that they dominated the match, doesn’t really paint a fair picture of just how superior Adkins’ team were.

At times the match felt like a training exercise – there was almost total silence in the ground, save the odd cheer from Saints fans and groans from the Tykes faithful, and Saints zipped the ball about amongst themselves as if passing around cones.

It was one sided to a ridiculous degree, partly because of Saints’ excellence and partly because of Barnsley’s struggles.

However, that old adage that you’ve got to take advantage when you’re on top almost came back to bite Saints on the bum.

They held their lead for an hour of the game but had failed, despite their dominance, to add a second that might have opened the floodgates.

They didn’t, though, and when sub Richard Chaplow got himself sent off late on, it went from a carnival parade to tin hats time and Saints rode their luck in securing a win that up until that point looked so routine it was almost disturbing.

The tempo was set early on, Barnsley sitting deep and trying to pass the ball out from the back.

But with just one up front and little support for him it was coming back very quickly.

That led to a few long balls and the result was just the same.

With Lallana and Guly Do Prado drifting inside from their respective wings, it caused the full backs a headache of epic proportions.

Saints might have taken the lead through Lallana and Rickie Lambert headers but did break the deadlock on 30 minutes.

It was something of a comedy of defensive errors as a game of head tennis was played out in the Barnsley six yard box.

The hosts failed to take opportunities to clear and eventually Connolly punishing them with a cute low header which beat keeper David Preece between his foot and near post.

Barnsley went 4-4-2 for the second half and things got marginally better for them.

They did have greater presence up front and Saints were certainly guilty of indulging them a little by sitting too deep.

Even so, Saints looked in cruise control and produced some joyous passing movements.

They might have got the second goal had Do Prado not angled a header wide and Lallana uncharacteristically lashed a shot into the side netting when in time and space in the area.

Things didn’t even look as though they would go awry when Chaplow, a second half sub, was sent off with six minutes remaining for a tasty challenge that floored Jay McEveley.

Saints responded by forcing Preece into saves from Lallana and Dean Hammond.

But Barnsley threw caution to the wind for a late salvo.

Having been a virtual spectator for most of the match, Kelvin Davis had to make good saves from Ricardo Vaz Te’s near post drive and fierce free kick.

The latter sparked a monumental scramble in the six yard box but Saints managed to keep the ball out.

Deep into the seemingly never ending stoppage time Frazer Richardson made himself a hero as he managed to block the ball on the line in another chaotic penalty area scene.

That ensured the three points would, quite deservedly, head south.

Adkins’ faith is looking well placed.