Lee Barnard can't wait to get back into the team and admits that he will have to work hard to do so.

The in-form striker missed Sunday's Trophy win as he was cup-tied, and the frustrated spectator on that day hopes to give his manager a selection headache going into the game at Brighton.

"Sunday was a good day out and the support was great," he highlighted. "It was good to see the lads do well but it was frustrating to be sitting there watching and not being out there so it was a mixed day for me, but a great occasion for everyone at the club.

"I need to get back into the team now and I don't know what the gaffer's going to do, but I'll be trying one hundred per cent to get some goals. I'm looking to do my best, score some goals and help us creep into the play-offs.

"Everyone's being kept on their toes. It's good competition for places, some people don't like it, but I love it, it keeps you going and puts a little bit of pressure on to score goals."

Brighton's Withdean stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Barnard in the past, but the former Spurs front man knows Saints will have to be at their best to get a result at one of the more unusual grounds in the divison.

"It's a strange set up. It's not a typical football ground, but they are the places you've got to go and get three points from. For me personally I've played there twice and scored three goals so I quite like it there.

"If we can get the three points on Thursday before the other teams above us play, then that will put a little bit of pressure on them, but we know what we've got to do, so we've got to go and do that.

"We know it's going to be tough, but we're confident that we've got the players here who can do it, so we're all going to give it our best.

"In the Hartlepool game we maybe had our minds on Wembley, but that's out of the way now and we've done the business there, so we can concentrate on the play-offs and the games that come our way.

"We know that if we don't perform in this one then that will be said again, but we don't set out to get up for certain games and not others. OK Sometimes it doesn't quite work out, but I can assure you that we're all looking forward to it."