SAINTS are discovering the hefty price of being dogged by letting leads slip through their hands.

It's a point not lost on boss Glenn Hoddle who is determined to stamp out a worrying trend that has cost his side enough points to put them ahead of third-placed Ipswich.

Last Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Portman Road was the SIXTH time this season that Saints have taken the lead and failed to hold on for maximum points.

With four of those games drawn and two ending in defeat, it equates to a massive 14 points squandered.

Had those points not been frittered away Saints would have had their eyes set on a completely different target instead of looking nervously over their shoulders, a fact not lost on Hoddle who said: "We could certainly have been comfortably mid-table by now, because we know it is going to be a battle down there."

All the classic symptoms were on display in Saturday's defeat at Portman Road, where Saints looked comfortably in control, only to concede two soft goals in as many minutes from set-pieces.

Hoddle said: "We have given games back on a plate, which has been very frustrating," but the Saints boss also feels he has identified the problem and can put it right.

"You have to look at how you let teams back into the game and a lot of them I feel we can put right.

"It's not a mental thing, there are things we can avert and perhaps try and cut things off at source.

"Claus Lundekvam could have prevented the corner at Arsenal, Jason Dodd didn't need to make the tackle which conceded the free-kick Ipswich scored their first goal from. That cuts down the chances of conceding goals from set plays, which is something we should cope with anyway."

That was echoed by defender Dean Richards, who reckoned a wrong judgement call cost Saints at Portman Road.

"For the first goal we made the wrong decision. For free-kicks out wide we normally mark zonally but for free-kicks near the box we pick up man-for-man.

"For some reason we decided to go zonal for the first goal and when you're stood in there the opposition strikers have got a run on you.

"Usually it's down to me to make the call as to how we mark but for that first goal on Saturday Tahar called it and we went with it.

"When you go a goal up away from home it's obvious the home team are going to throw everything at you.

"We haven't been able to cope with that, although I don't think it's a mental thing. It's something we've got to look at."

Richards' central defensive partner Claus Lundekvam admits: "We're letting ourselves down a bit, especially when we're playing well.

"What caught us a bit in the second half was that Ipswich changed the way they played. They started to clip the ball in behind us and we didn't really adjust to it.

"Having said that, the first two goals came from set pieces which is always disappointing for defenders, conceding scrappy goals.

"It's frustrating when Paul Jones only had one real save to make in 90 minutes but we still conceded three goals.

"At least we know what we're doing wrong and can work to put it right."