Kevin Davies' third goal in three games gave Southampton their first win of the holiday programme and a huge boost to their Premiership survival fight at the expense of fellow strugglers Bradford.

The Yorkshireman pounced in the 55th minute to end Bradford's brave resistance and give Saints their first Premiership home win since August.

It marks another enormous step in the rehabilitation of Davies, who was branded a multi-million pound flop after his move to Blackburn turned sour.

Sheffield-born Davies, 22, is starting to recapture the sort of form which made him one of the hottest properties in English football two years ago.

His £7.5million move to Blackburn, in the summer of 1998, was dogged by injuries and illness. He made only nine Premiership starts, scoring one goal, as Rovers slipped into Division One.

Saints boss Dave Jones brought him back to the south coast, in a swap with Egil Ostenstad, and after further fitness problems during the autumn the former England Under-21 striker is starting to find his feet again.

Davies was on target over Christmas in Southampton's defeat against Chelsea and Watford and he made it three for the season with a second-half header which sealed three priceless points for his team.

Jones' team had won only once in 14 Premiership games before the visit of Bradford and should have taken comfortable lead into the break at the rain-sodden Dell.

Luis Boa Morte's second-minute shot deflected across the goalmouth and flashed inches away from the slide of Davies.

Bradford-born Dean Richards was twice denied against his former club by Matt Clarke. He hooked a shot over his shoulder which the goalkeeper clutched and met a Boa Morte corner only for Clarke to tip over.

Andrew O'Brien blocked two shots from Chris Marsden, back in the Southampton team after a hernia operation, and Davies headed over from a Marian Pahars cross.

Pahars squandered a golden chance before the break.

Marsden launched a break with a run down the left. He lifted a perfect cross to Pahars, but the Latvian's downward header was smothered by Clarke low to his right.

Then Pahars teed up Jo Tessem, after Marsden had caught O'Brien in possession, but the Norwegian's first-time shot crashed off the bar.

It looked like Saints may regret their wastefulness when the Bantams came out in spirited mood after the break.

The visitors pushed Southampton back, but Jones' team sprang out of defence to take the lead.

Wayne Bridge led the charge with a 50-yard run through the puddles and a skidding shot which caused problems for Clarke.

Bradford's goalkeeper could only parry Bridge's shot, and Southampton kept the pressure on.

Stuart Ripley swung in a right-footed free-kick from the left, and Davies leapt high to power a header into the net in the 55th minute.

Pahars almost doubled the lead for Saints within two minutes. He skipped through the Bradford defence after accepting a Boa Morte pass and squeezed a shot past Clarke which bounced back off the foot of the post.

Bradford scrapped to the end.

They forced 12 second-half corners, and Saints had to endure some tense moments.

Richards cleared O'Brien's overhead kick off the line in the 73rd minute, and Jones saved brilliantly to deny Dean Saunders and produced another top-class reflex stop to deny sub Robbie Blake.

Teams:

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Richards, Lundekvam, Bridge, Ripley, Tessem, Marsden, Boa Morte, Davies, Pahars.

Subs Not Used: Benali, Soltvedt, Hughes, Kachloul, Moss.

Goals: Davies 55.

Bradford: Clarke, Halle (Blake 59), Wetherall, O'Brien, Sharpe (Myers 46), Lawrence, Windass, McCall, Beagrie, Mills (Redfearn 70), Saunders.

Subs Not Used: Davison, Westwood.

Att: 15,027

Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).