BY Joe Lovejoy ( The Times )

ANOTHER late show for Manchester United and three more points from an indifferent afternoon which nonetheless keeps them looking down on their pursuers in the Premiership from a comfortable distance. Even the execution was untidy. A deflected shot from Roy Keane provided United's first before Dwight Yorke, amid cries of offside, completed the job.

Until 11 minutes from time, Southampton believed they had pulled off a coup. Had James Beattie not twice been kept out by crossbar and post, they would have done. "It was a careless performance," said Alex Ferguson, the United manager. "There was no pace to our game." He will treasure little of yesterday except the points, and perhaps David Beckham's sweeping pass to set up Yorke's goal.

Then again, recent experience suggests that United are a team who can win without a flourish, saving the best for later. Last Saturday, they waited until the 78th minute to take points from Coventry City; here, Southampton would likewise curse their luck. "We battled well," said David Jones, the visiting manager. "Every time anyone comes here and plays well, you tend to say United had an off day. Give our players some credit."

Credit duly given, United did have their thoughts elsewhere. Once Matthew Le Tissier had nodded Jason Dodd's free-kick past a distracted defence in stoppage time, the European Cup quarter-final against Internazionale had moved back to the top of the Old Trafford agenda. "It's the nature of things that players look forward to big games like Wednesday," said Ferguson. He had taken "a risk" by leaving Keane, Dennis Irwin and Andy Cole on the substitutes' bench and leaving out Jaap Stam altogether. Stam trained on Friday after his hamstring trouble at Coventry and Ferguson expects him to be fit against Inter.

United allowed Southampton one or two shafts of light early on. Egil Ostenstad powered down the right after four minutes and one or two fewer inches on his cross would have allowed Beattie better purchase on a header which looped wide. Chris Marsden's service also promised well, one searching centre finding no takers and a Marsden corner was nodded wide by Ken Monkou. United, preserving fuel, had not yet reached third gear. "We started like it was a practice match," said Ferguson.

As well they might. Since the new year, only Arsenal have taken points from Ferguson's team, and the rest of the opposition they have faced would hardly have expected to. Next month the fare will be less easily digested. Chelsea's Italians follow Inter to Old Trafford for next Sunday's FA Cup tie, then come Liverpool and Newcastle away and the trip to the San Siro, all in just over a fortnight.

United's first trace of resolution arrived after 14 minutes, Scholes's first-time ball wide to Giggs forcing a corner through Monkou's headed clearance. Beckham swung the corner in, Yorke met it and only Colleter's goalline clearance kept the scoreline blank.

Marsden tried two left-foot drives from distance, Schmeichel reacting well to palm clear the first but otherwise it had been innocuous stuff. When Ostenstad galloped clear, his finish seemed dulled by the general anaesthetic, dribbling safely into Schmeichel's path. Similarly for Butt's strike from the edge of the area.

Southampton knew their plan, Lundekvam chaperoning Yorke like a Valentine's Day suitor, and when he gave him the slip, hoofing the ball so clear it landed somewhere along Sir Matt Busby Way.

Beckham, though, had a good game and, after Colleter impeded him, earning the Frenchman a booking, that joust turned United's way. Beating his man again, Beckham's centre picked out Giggs, whose header David Hughes cleared from the goalline.

Southampton had survived the first half, and that was enough to have Ferguson summon Keane. "He injected a bit of speed to our play," said the manager. Twice Ole Gunnar Solkjaer might have prized Southampton open, first running onto a fine through-ball from Scholes before his progress was arrested, next, getting behind the Southampton rearguard to slide in a cross for Giggs. The Welshman squandered it, firing high and wide from close-range.

Schmeichel saved a Bridge drive after Marsden had cutely side-stepped Keane, but most of the traffic by now ran in one direction. Giggs burst through, this time on the right and his cross was intercepted en route to Yorke. Then Giggs tried from the left, and Jones collected with authority. When Beckham released Yorke, the Tobagan took an age to line up his shot and another opportunity fizzled out.

Hence the further summons, this time to Cole, midway through the second-half. It was Cole who teed-up Keane's goal, driven in off Colleter's boot, after a Beckham corner. Four minutes later, Beckham's handsome pass put Yorke one-on-one with Jones and, at the second attempt, he wriggled the ball free and slotted home.

Last word, though, to Southampton. Le Tissier had joined proceedings at the same time as Cole, back from a four-week absence. From his right foot had come the corner which the leaping Beattie headed against Schmeichel's crossbar. When Schmeichel's post had kept another Beattie shot out, a minute from time, Southampton knew for sure that fortune favoured the League leaders.

Manchester United: : Schmeichel, G Neville, Berg, Johnsen, P. Neville (Irwin 78), Beckham, Butt (Keane 46), Scholes, Giggs, Yorke, Solskjaer (Cole 67).

Scorers: Keane 79, Yorke 83.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Monkou (Benali 50), Lundekvam, Colleter, Marsden, Oakley, Bridge, Hughes, Beattie, Ostenstad (Le Tissier 67).

Scorers: Le Tissier 90.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).

Attendance: 55,316.