Manning scored on Saturday in a 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday to ensure Saints remained within touching distance of the top six.
Tonda Eckert’s side are seventh in the division, four points adrift of Wrexham, whom they face on Easter Weekend in a promotion six-pointer.
Manning says Saints are paying the price for a slow start with their league position but is confident they are close to where they need to be.
“Anytime you go away, despite the circumstances here, and win 3-1, you take it. Especially at this time of the season, when points are absolutely vital,” he told the Daily Echo.
Southampton’s Ryan Manning scored his sixth of the season at Sheffield Wednesday. (Image: Cody Froggatt/PA)
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“That takes our streak to nine games where we’re unbeaten, which is massive. It puts us back up the table, closer to where we want to be, not quite where we need to be.
“This was a solid away performance at a tough ground to play at. We have to play a lot of the teams in and around us before the end of the season.
“It’s going to be tough games, home and away, but that’s the situation we put ourselves in by having a slow start and not being up there from the off.
“We have to do all we can, keep taking it game by game, and try to get into the playoffs.”
Manning doubled Southampton’s lead on the stroke of half-time, bending in his third free-kick of the season after strikes against Wrexham and Watford.
The Republic of Ireland international was not known for scoring free-kicks before this season, and very nearly found the net for a fourth time in the second half.
“I don’t know [what’s going on], but I’ll keep enjoying it while it’s happening,” Manning laughed while speaking pitchside at Hillsborough.
Ryan Manning celebrates after doubling Southampton’s lead at Sheffield Wednesday. (Image: PA)
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“That was probably one of my lesser-well-hit ones, if that’s a phrase. It had decent accuracy into the corner, which means if it’s on target, it’s got a chance.
“It was an important goal in terms of us winning 2-0 at half-time. It sort of changed the game a bit – changed the feeling.
“It allowed us to have a little bit of a cushion, which we needed when they got back into the game. I think we managed that setback quite well.
“We went down the other end, created a few chances, and obviously managed to get Tay [Harwood-Bellis’s] goal from the set-piece.
“It was a good away performance. There are a few things we can work on, but you have to take it game by game and just deal with what you have to do.”