PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"Alex Ferguson's tactic of resting players here backfired as with 10 minutes to go the score was deadlocked at 0-0. Keane had to come off the bench to claw a goal ahead and then Yorke added a second soon after. Le Tissier found a way through on 90 minutes to pull a consolation goal back but by then Utd had won it."

MATCH REPORT

By David Anderson, PA Sport

So much for Alex Ferguson's attempt to rest some of his Manchester United stars ahead of Wednesday's Champions' League clash with Inter Milan. Captain Roy Keane, Andy Cole and Denis Irwin all started on the bench at Old Trafford against Southampton as Ferguson tried to give them a breather. But in the end all three had to come on to help United claim victory against a spirited Saints side.

Keane had been called upon as early as the interval when Ferguson brought him on after a dismal first-half showing by United. And it was the Republic of Ireland midfield who put United on the road to yet another three points when he broke the deadlock with a vital strike 11 minutes from time. That goal broke Southampton's hearts and Dwight Yorke added a second in the 83rd minute before substitute Matt Le Tissier pulled one back in stoppage time for the plucky, but unlucky visitors.

United had insisted they would not be distracted by their midweek date with the Italians, but from the first whistle it was clear their minds were elsewhere. They did not look like the Premiership leaders who had won nine of their 10 games in 1999. Instead it was relegation-threatened Saints who were the brighter. Birthday boy James Beattie, who was 21 today, headed wide early on from Egil Ostenstad's cross which was just a touch too high.

United briefly roused themselves from their sluggish start in the 13th minute when the impressive Ken Monkou headed away a dangerous Ryan Giggs cross for a corner. From the setpiece, Patrick Colleter cleared a Yorke header off the line from David Beckham's corner. But in the main it was Southampton who were playing the better football on United's patched-up pitch and Chris Marsden forced a decent save from Peter Schmeichel from 25 yards out.

Ferguson livened up the rather dull proceedings when he came down from his perch on the sidelines to barrack the assistant referee over a baffling offside decision given against Yorke. Back on the pitch, Ostenstad knew he should have done better when the United defence opened up in front of him, but he shot weakly at Schmeichel.

United picked up the pace before the interval and Saints skipper Jason Dodd denied Giggs a 43rd-minute opener. Beckham escaped down the right and crossed to the back post only for Dodd to stop the Welshman's header on the line.

United slowly improved in the second half and Yorke had a header blocked before Giggs was left cursing himself on 59 minutes when he squandered a terrific chance.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer centred from the left for Giggs to scoop the ball carelessly wide of the target with only Jones to beat. With a quarter of the game remaining Southampton brought on Le Tissier, who had started on the bench following his recovery from calf and hamstring problems. United also made a change and Cole came on for Solskjaer to receive the biggest cheer of the afternoon so far.

Le Tissier quickly made an impact and within seven minutes of coming on Beattie headed his corner against the bar. To compound Saints' woe Keane gave United the lead five minutes later. Henning Berg nodded down Beckham's corner and Yorke set up Keane to score with a deflection for his fourth goal of the season.

Worse was to follow for Southampton and in the 83rd minute Beckham found Yorke unmarked on the left in acres of space and he rounded Jones before slotting home his 22nd goal of the campaign.

There was still time for Beattie to hit the woodwork again when it would have been easier to score after Schmeichel had saved from Le Tissier. Le Tissier restored some pride for Saints when he scored in stoppage time, but it will be of little consolation to Dave Jones' side who on another day might easily have won.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

Alex Ferguson felt his Manchester United players had been distracted by Wednesday's Champions' League clash with Inter Milan after they struggled to beat Southampton 2-1. United spluttered for most of the match at Old Trafford against a spirited Saints side before substitute Roy Keane made the vital breakthrough 11 minutes from time.

Dwight Yorke added a second four minutes later before substitute Matt Le Tissier scored a goal in stoppage time which will have been of little consolation to the visitors. Even though the victory maintains United's four point lead at the top of the Premiership, Ferguson was unhappy with his players' performance.

"I thought it was a careless performance - there was no pace in our game, he said. "Possibly it's in the nature of players to look forward to big games like Wednesday, but I was surprised we did not do better.

"I don't think the pitch was a help but I thought the way that we have been playing recently we would have been able to keep the momentum going. We started off at practice match pace and I don't think we put in a tackle for the first 30 minutes.

"Just before half-time we could have gone in front with one or two bits of play and once we speeded up in the second half we improved quite well."

Ferguson had left Keane, Denis Irwin and Andy Cole on the bench with one eye on Wednesday night but in the end they all had to come on. And it was Keane, who came on at half-time, who turned the game United's way.

Ferguson was delighted with his captain's contribution and he said: "We took a risk with our team but it was not a big risk because the players who started that game were 11 internationals," he said. "Keane does make a difference but he would make a difference to any team. He made a difference in the way that he came on and injected a bit of speed into our play."

Southampton boss Dave Jones felt his side had deserved better, joking that he would ask Alex Ferguson for a replay because he claimed Yorke's goal was offside.

"We came here and took the game to Manchester United, with a bit more luck and quality in front of goal we might have gone in front," he said. "For the second goal somebody has just informed me that it looked offside, which makes it 10 times worse. I might go and have a beer with Alex and ask him if he will replay it if it was offside."

Birthday boy James Beattie, who was 21 today, might have done better with two efforts which hit the woodwork, but Jones refused to criticise his young striker.

"It would have been nice if he had stuck the ball in the back of the net," said Jones. "He had a good header, one just before we scored and with a bit more coolness in front of goal he would have stuck it in the back of the net. But he's a young boy, he's got a big heart and a lot of determination and a big future ahead of him.

"If we could just control his passion for putting the ball in the back of the net with a bit more coolness he will be a good player."

Ferguson reported no injury problems ahead of Wednesday's game and he confirmed that Jaap Stam has fully recovered from his hamstring injury and will play.

TEAMS

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Johnsen, P Neville, Berg, Butt, Scholes, Beckham, Giggs, Yorke, Solskjaer.
Subs: Keane for Butt, Irwin for P Neville, Cole for Solskjaer
Scorers: Keane (79), Yorke (83)

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Marsden, Lundekvam, Monkou, Oakley, Beattie, Bridge, Hughes, Colleter, Ostenstad.
Subs: Benali for Monkou, Le Tissier for Ostenstad
Scorers: Le Tissier (90)

Referee: P Jones