Wrexham go into the fixture at The Racecourse sitting sixth in the table, one point ahead of the Saints who have a game in hand.
With six matches remaining, Wrexham’s destiny is still in their own hands and victory this evening will boost their chances of securing a play-off spot and remain on track for an unprecedented fourth successive promotion, but O’Brien is not getting carried away.
“We can’t put too much emphasis on that one game,” said the midfielder.
“People can big up the game as much as they want, but I don’t think we will be doing that.
“We’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing.
“There’s obviously still six games left till the end of the season and we’re not really looking at the position that we’re in.
“We’re just going to try and collect as many points till the end of the season and see where we’re at.
“We’ve got to see every game as the same. The next game’s another game that we have to get three points out of, and after Southampton, it’s another game we have to get three points out of.
“It’s not a six-point game, it’s just a game for us to win, and we’re going to try our best to get all the points we can.”
There’s still a lot of points to play for in the run-in with more twists and turns expected.
Although O’Brien is keeping his feet on the ground, be believes Wrexham can secure a place in the play-offs and keep the Premier League dream alive.
“We’ve played 40 games and we are where we are for a reason,” he said.
“There’s no reason for us not to believe that we do belong where we are.
“I think the fans are starting to believe that as well and when the fans start to believe, it’s like a 12th man out on that pitch.
“If we do make it, it’d be unbelievable for the town and it’d be great for the players, but we are just taking it one game at a time.
“There’s no point looking too far ahead. We could lose the next three and then win the last three and be in the play-offs still.
“You can’t predict that one point here (at West Brom on Friday) or a loss whenever will define our season. It doesn’t. We’re just going to take it as one-game mentality like we have all season.”
Wrexham moved above Southampton, who were on FA Cup duty, after drawing 2-2 with West Brom at The Hawthorns.
The lowly Baggies led two-nil at the break but Josh Windass pulled a goal back early in the second half and O’Brien equalised, claiming that George Dobson told him that he had not touched his backheel before the ball crossed the line.
“Dobbo actually gave it to me,” added O’Brien.
“He said he didn’t touch it, and he said it on the pitch as well.
“I think every app has give it to Dobbo but I’ll be trying to ring them all up and change it, definitely!”