Leeds 1-0 Southampton

Michael Bridges fired Leeds back to the top of the Premiership with a superb stoppage-time winner against a brave but unlucky Southampton side.

Bridges, who scored his first senior hat-trick against Southampton in only his second appearance for Leeds earlier in the season, undid the Saints again with a stunning 25-yard strike.

The visitors appeared to have earned a creditable away point with David O'Leary's men but the 88th minute dismissal of Patrick Colleter proved decisive as Leeds were finally able to make their advantage tell.

O' Leary, still thawing out after the team's abortive trip to sub-zero Moscow, was without his first-choice captain Lucas Radebe.

Radebe was deemed to be physically too tired after returning this morning from South Africa's 1-0 friendly victory over Sweden in Pretoria.

Batty was handed the captaincy in his absence and proved a worthy stand-in.

He was inspirational during a dominant first half hour for Leeds in which they poured forward, eager for the goals to leapfrog Manchester United at the top of the table.

They averaged a shot on target every three minutes as Southampton goalkeeper Paul Jones found himself beseiged.

Harry Kewell, Bridges, Batty, Ian Harte and sub Eirik Bakke were all denied by top class saves from the Welshman.

But the departure of Batty after half an hour made Leeds a poorer-looking side as Southampton found themselves with more time in midfield.

Goal-line clearance

Kewell was forced to clear of the line from a Hassan Kachloul header and Trond Soltvedt forced a superb save from Nigel Martyn just before the interval.

They had their best chance in the 65th minute when Harte's clearance struck Kachloul and bounced straight into the path of Marian Pahars.

The Latvian was denied by a sprawling save from Martyn and though Matthew Oakley latched onto the rebound, Jonathon Woodgate slid in to clear off the line.

Darren Huckerby eventually came on for Alan Smith but his one and only chance saw him blast wide when well-placed as Leeds looked to have missed their opening.

But when Colleter was sent off for a second bookable offence with two minutes to go, the Southampton rearguard began to crack.

And in the second minute of injury-time Bridges conjured up a spectacular winner when he hooked home his 12th of the season from outside the box.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate, Mills, Harte, Bowyer, Batty, McPhail, Kewell, Smith, Bridges.
Subs: Haaland, Huckerby, Bakke, Hiden, Robinson.

Southampton: Jones, Tessem, Lundekvam, Richards, Colleter, Ripley, Soltvedt, Hughes, Oakley, Kachloul, Pahars.
Subs: Dodd, Le Tissier, Beattie, Boa Morte, Moss.
Referee: R Harris (Oxford)