GOALKEEPER Billy Turley is convinced Oxford United can overhaul leaders Dagenham & Redbridge at the top of the Conference - because he knows from personal experience it can be done.

Turley, who was United's man-of-the-match in Tuesday night's 1-0 win at Southport, said: "I've been in the situation twice with Rushden where we won the Conference with Yeovil and where we won the third division with Hartlepool.

"Hartlepool were 14 points up on March 1 and it was the same with Yeovil, they were ten points clear at the same sort of time. There's going to be a lot of twists and turns yet.

"We've got to keep doing our job and with the squad we've got now I think it's an excellent squad.

"You look at the bench and even the people who are not even on the bench. Nineteen travelled and the three that were in the stand are excellent players.

"The gaffer's got a good problem now, we're all in the right direction, we're over our slump now and we just hope we can keep continue winning."

United reduced the Daggers' lead at the top to eight points with their victory at Haig Avenue while John Still's men were being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Stafford Rangers.

The U's can close the gap to five points this Saturday by beating Forest Green Rovers at home, because Dagenham are without a match.

Their scheduled opponents, Stevenage, are in the FA Trophy semi-finals.

"It's all about putting pressure on them," said manager Jim Smith.

"I think Dagenham have got four games in a week coming up some time in March, which will be very testing."

United have taken just 19 days to collect 12 points from their last four wins . . . after needing 98 days to collect their previous 12 points.

And it's the first time they have chalked up four straight league wins since the first four games of the season.

The win at Southport, secured by a great strike from Danny Rose, was a second successive clean sheet for Turley, but that was largely down to an inspired performance from him.

He said: "That was probably one of my busiest games away from home.

"It was a difficult night because it was windy and the pitch wasn't the best, but that's what I'm there for. I'm just glad I did my part.

"I think you've got to give Southport credit, they surprised us. But we knew from the scouts' reports we had from their match with Dagenham that 4-1 wasn't a true reflection on the game.

"The gaffer said to us at half-time that we were playing in the wrong areas, we weren't getting it to the front men as we were on Saturday, and it was a long hard night.

"But, saying that, we had three different centre backs. Quinny came in and did excellently and Mickey Corcoran at the back again - he's only 19, but he's going to be some player. He's excellent. He's got an old man's head on his shoulders and I thought he was excellent.

"So were Gavin (Johnson) and Eddie (Anaclet) . . . and Danny came up with a great goal for us."