THE rise from the ashes continued for Leeds United at Elland Road last night. A club that not so long ago stood on a precipice that invited only extinction or bankruptcy consolidated fourth position in the Championship with a stirring victory over Southampton, who can count themselves unlucky not have taken a point and thus set a Football League record of nine consecutive drawn matches.

If the revival in West Yorkshire is a remarkable one, it is in no small part due to the efforts of Kevin Blackwell, the Leeds manager, who has assembled a side that seems capable of sustaining a promotion campaign and a return to the Premiership, an ambition partially achieved on slender resources and lacking the financial muscle of other clubs at this level.

Leeds may learn more of their potential when Sheffield United, Blackwell’s former employers and the runaway league leaders, visit on Friday night for what promises to be a raucous Yorkshire derby.

Whatever the outcome, at least the consolidation extended beyond league status for Leeds last night after a statement from Ken Bates in the match programme.

The currency of a football chairman’s vote of confidence frequently can be valued alongside a Tory politician’s public backing of a potential leader: pretty worthless. But Bates once more reiterated that he will not be asking Dennis Wise, the Southampton player, to replace Blackwell as manager. There might be those who think the Leeds chairman doth protest too much, but his unequivocal statement imbued the team with an impressive impetus as chances came and went, at both ends, in an enthralling first half.

Rob Hulse set the tone in the eleventh minute with a towering header that secured his fifth goal in three games. Antti Niemi, the Southampton goalkeeper, was defeated again by Robbie Blake’s curled effort eight minutes later. Wise’s absence, through injury, induced Leeds fans to amuse themselves with a few harmonious references to him.

It was just as well because though Eddie Lewis and Blake both saw free kicks rebound off the woodwork, they were rare interruptions to the traffic flow towards the Leeds end.

At the hub of it all was Theo Walcott, the 16-year-old forward given his first start by Harry Redknapp, the Southampton manager. Walcott volleyed his first senior goal in the 25th minute, although the youngster squandered three other glorious chances that would have reflected Southampton’s ascendancy latterly.

“I can’t tell you how many games we have played like that,” Redknapp said. “We have dominated the last eight games we have drawn; you had to see our game against Reading to believe it. We battered them unmercifully for 90 minutes and still end up 0-0. But I am still confident we will go up.”

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): N Sullivan — G Kelly, P Butler, S Gregan (sub: M Kilgallon, 55min), D Harding — F Richardson (sub: G Einarsson, 72), S Derry, J Douglas, E Lewis — R Hulse, R Blake (sub: D Healy, 63). Substitutes not used: I Bennett, I Moore. Booked: Derry, Douglas.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): A Niemi — T Hajto (sub: R Delap, 82), C Lundekvam, M Cranie, D Higginbotham — D Belmadi (sub: K Kosowski, 67), M Oakley, N Quashie, N McCann — T Walcott, R Fuller (sub: K Jones, 72). Substitutes not used: B Ormerod, P Smith, R Delap. Booked: Belmadi, Oakley.

Referee: M Jones.