The defender, who returned to the side after injury at the weekend, was upset as any Sunderland fan that the team could not claim its first away win of the season at Derby County at the weekend despite being on top throughout – especially as he had a last-minute chance to seal all three points himself.

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But although some daunting home fixtures remain – including Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal – Higginbotham believes that the team will secure enough points at the Stadium of Light to keep them away from relegation.

He said: "I have not played for a while and I thought the lads did well as a whole team defensively.

"The table changes from week to week but we have the belief we will be okay. We have to keep going and play like we have been.

"We have got a home game against Everton next and our attention has to be on that now. It will be difficult, as every Premier League game is, but the way we have been playing at home, I see no reason why we can't go into the games full of confidence."

Everton, though, will also be desperate for three points as they look to keep city rivals Liverpool – who play Newcastle next weekend – out of the fourth and final Champions League qualification place.

Higginbotham, meanwhile, hopes he has done enough to have a chance of staying in the side.

He was involved on Saturday at left-back in place of the suspended Danny Collins.

Collins has been the surprise 'hit' of Sunderland's season – unrated by many fans at the start of the campaign, the Welsh international has won supporters over with his consistency and determination.

But Higginbotham hopes he will push Collins all the way, especially after Sunderland secured their first clean sheet away from home this season at Derby.

He said: "It was great to be back in the side. It's just a shame we couldn't get the three points. It was important as a defence that we kept a clean sheet, but we should have won the game."

Higginbotham felt he should have scored when his injury-time effort was blocked on the line by Hossam Ghaly.

He said: "The lad made a very good block from my effort. I should have done better with it. I am disappointed about that but these things happen and you have to move on. I did score with Stoke there last year, from the spot, and I should have done better with this one."