Southampton surged to only their fifth win of the season as Leeds failed to
find the form which had produced three successive victories.
The hosts, smarting from their 7-1 defeat at Liverpool, were transformed in a
blistering display which belied their position near the foot of the Premiership
table.
Saints achieved their win at a cost with Matthew Le Tissier limping out of the
action after only 10 minutes with a recurrence of his calf muscle strain.
But the inspirational midfield player was hardly missed as Southampton turned
on the style, much to the surprise of David O'Leary's men who struggled from the
start.
Leeds had two clear openings, both of which fell to Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink
but on each occasion his shooting with his feared right foot let him down.
Southampton had to wait until the 31st minute but once Hassan Kachloul had put
them ahead there was no way back for United.
Stuart Ripley, substituting for Le Tissier, took a corner on the right and
after Mark Hughes had a shot blocked the rebound fell for Jason Dodd to get in a
shot which was flicked in by Moroccan midfield player Kachloul for his fourth in
eight starts.
Southampton went further ahead in the 62nd minute and once again Kachloul was
involved.
He turned inside a challenge and from 15 yards got in a shot which goalkeeper
Nigel Martyn managed to block, but after a James Beattie had hit the rebound
against the post there was no further reprieve for Leeds as Matthew Oakley
blasted into the roof of the net for his second of the season.
Leeds failed to muster a single shot on target after that and found
Southampton a much tougher proposition than Saints' south coast neighbours
Portsmouth who were crushed 5-1 by O'Leary's young stars last week.
Southampton played with renewed confidence and went further up front in the
86th minute through the perseverance of Beattie who struggled off a challenge
from Lucas Radebe to set up the easiest of openings for Egil Ostenstad.
To complete Leeds miserable afternoon they had Alf-Inge Haaland, Lee Bowyer,
Alan Smith and Jonathan Woodgate all booked for fouls.
Southampton received yellow cards for Claus Lundekvam, Jason Dodd and Hughes,
whose booking was his 14th of the season which will bring him with his fourth
suspension.
Southampton also lost substitute Stuart Ripley in the 82nd minute after he had
sustained a leg injury, giving teenager Wayne Bridge the chance to join in the
barrage on the Leeds goal as Southampton went in search of a fourth.
Teams:
Southampton: Jones, Hiley, Colleter, Lundekvam, Dodd,
Le Tissier (Ripley 10), Oakley, Hughes, Ostenstad, Beattie,
Kachloul, Ripley (Bridge 82).
Subs Not Used: Howells, Monk, Stensgaard.
Booked: Lundekvam, Hughes, Dodd.
Goals: Kachloul 31, Oakley 62, Ostenstad 86.
Leeds: Martyn, Woodgate, Harte, Haaland, Radebe, Wetherall,
Bowyer, Hopkin, Hasselbaink, Smith, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Ribeiro, Wijnhard, Halle, Knarvik, Robinson.
Booked: Haaland, Bowyer, Smith, Woodgate.
Att: 15,236
Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).
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