Nicky Maynard is the first to admit he is treading unfamiliar territory this season.

If moving from League One to the Championship represented the biggest single break of his career to date, City's record signing from Crewe no doubt derived equal satisfaction from exchanging a relegation dogfight for a tilt at promotion.

More accustomed to battling the drop with the Railwaymen, the £2.25m striker is relishing life at the other end of the league table.

Upwardly mobile in the wake of a searing seven-match unbeaten run, City are showing every sign of being able to mount a sustained challenge for the end-of-season play-offs.

And having experienced life at both ends of the football's spectrum, Maynard knows which set of circumstances he enjoys most.

He recalled: "We were nearly always fighting against the drop at Crewe and we'd usually be up against it at this stage of the season.

"I was in a relegation fight for the first two seasons I was playing and it's hard for a young player trying to make his way.

"There wasn't a lot of pressure on me personally, because I had only just got into the team and no-one expected too much from me.

"But the team was always under pressure and, more often than not, we were in a position where we had to win games."

Victory over Southampton at Ashton Gate today could see City leapfrog Swansea and Preston and move into the top six for the first time since mid-October.

Maynard confided: "It's nice not having to worry about being relegated and being able to look up rather than down in the table. I'd like to think I played am part in keeping Crewe up, but I'd much rather be in this situation.

"We're going for the play-offs and it's something completely new to me. Confidence is sky high throughout the squad and it's great to come into work in the morning and see all the lads smiling and joking."

Injured during the recent 2-0 victory at Plymouth, Maynard was forced to sit out subsequent games against Barnsley and Charlton. But he received an instant recall to the starting line-up at Norwich last week and played an integral part in a notable 2-1 success.

And he is eager to repay the faith shown in him by City boss Gary Johnson when Southampton come to town.

"To be honest, I thought it would be much harder to get my place back in the team," admitted the 22-year-old Cheshire-born forward, who will line-up alongside Dele Adebola in attack.

"I expected to have to wait my turn and fight hard for an opportunity, so I was a bit surprised when I got the nod at Carrow Road.

"It's good for me that the gaffer has shown his faith in me and it's up to me to repay him for that between now and the end of the season.

"My form had been good before I was injured and I'm hoping to carry that on now I'm back in the side."

Vastly improved since his Championship initiation in August, City's leading marksman demonstrated another side to his game last Saturday.

So often the scorer of goals, Maynard turned provider when setting-up Cole Skuse for City's opener against Norwich.

"Winning the game is the most important thing, but if I can be a part of that, whether it's scoring or making goals, then that's an added bonus.

"I have a goal-scorer's instincts and I usually decide to have a go if I'm in or around the box. But I'm more than happy to put other people in if they are in a better position than me and Skuse made a great run. I was made up for him that he got his goal.

"If we can keep putting ourselves in good situations and finding one another on the pitch, then things will go better for us as a team."

Maynard attributes City's recent rise up the table to improved team work and renewed confidence.

He confided: "I think we were playing as individuals earlier in the season and that's why things weren't going too well for us back then.

"But we've worked much better as a team since then and that's the main reason behind our good run of form.

"We're playing as a unit and creating a lot more goal-scoring opportunities as a result."