Leeds steal late win

Bowyer snatched victory as time ticked away

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Southampton 0-1 Leeds

Lee Bowyer scored a minute from time to earn Leeds a valuable victory against Southampton at St Mary's.

The result was tough on the home side, who enjoyed long spells of possession and rarely looked in trouble.

Leeds again fielded the three-pronged strikeforce of Viduka, Robbie Fowler and Alan Smith in the absence of the injured Harry Kewell.

  Key incidents

23 mins: Ian Harte hits the Saints crossbar with a free-kick

36 mins: Leeds' Lee Bowyer has a goal disallowed for offside

46 mins: Anders Svensson shoots narrowly wide for Southampton

89 mins: Bowyer scores from a Mark Viduka pass

Although the ploy worked well in the 3-0 win over Bolton on Boxing Day, it was less successful here.

Leeds lacked balance and numbers in midfield and were often on the back foot against their improving hosts.

Indeed, Southampton boasted the best player on view, the lively and creative Anders Svensson, who went close on several occasions.

Leeds had a goal controversially disallowed for offside when Bowyer tapped in from close range in the first half.

Mark Viduka holds off Southampton's Anders Svensson

But there was no doubt about Bowyer's late winner.

Viduka cleverly played him in with an angled pass from the edge of the area and the tenacious midfielder slotted home right-footed from 12 yards.

Although Southampton were the better side for long periods of the first half, Leeds enjoyed the better chances.

Smith cleverly spun away from his marker to volley from close-range, but Saints keeper Paul Jones was alert and saved.

Minutes later Ian Harte hit the crossbar with a curling, dipping 30-yard free kick.

And Leeds thought they had taken the lead after 36 minutes. Danny Mills crossed from the right, Smith headed on and Bowyer got a faint touch to send the ball into the net from six yards.

We know we can play better, but we have a spirit of togetherness - we stayed solid and were always liable to score a goal

Leeds manager David O'Leary

Replays showed that Bowyer had made his run from an on-side position, but referee Mike Halsey disallowed the goal.

Gordon Strachan's Southampton side were neat and lively but lacked a cutting edge in attack.

They were also frustrated by Leeds' impressive central defensive partnership of Jonathan Woodgate and the imperious Rio Ferdinand.

It was a huge disappointment to see the ball roll in and look up at the clock and see it on 88 minutes

Southampton manager Gordon Strachan

Saints had a rare chance shortly after the interval when Svensson ran on to a flick-on from James Beattie but shot wide from the edge of the area.

Jones then brilliantly saved an angled shot from Fowler - before Bowyer made his crucial late intervention to earn Leeds a valuable victory.

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Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Williams, Bridge, Telfer (Fernandes 77), Delap, Marsden, Svensson, Pahars, Beattie. Subs Not Used: Moss, El Khalej, Ormerod, Petrescu. Booked: Telfer.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate, Ferdinand, Harte, Mills, Batty, Smith, Bowyer, Fowler (Wilcox 90), Viduka. Subs Not Used: Robinson, McPhail, Duberry, Singh.

Booked: Mills.

Att: 31,622.

Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).