NOW that one English golden boy has been unmasked as a gum-chewing ruffian, how about another to fill his blessed boots? For Wayne Rooney, read James Milner, who, at 16 years and 357 days, became the youngest goalscorer in the Barclaycard Premiership. In time, the promise and the plaudits may be fulfilled, but for Leeds United and Terry Venables, Milner is already far more than a prodigy.

Leeds were back-pedalling to another calamitous defeat when one of their own — Milner left school last summer to join the club’s youth academy — slithered through the mulch in Sunderland’s six-yard box and pushed a cross from Jason Wilcox over the line. It was ugly, effective and timely, created while losing to a desperate team playing their most swaggering football of the season.

For Sunderland, that achievement is a limited one, but given that Howard Wilkinson’s bemused team were applauded from the pitch at the end, the extent of the Leeds escape was obvious. After Michael Proctor had snatched his second goal in consecutive home matches, Milner equalised and, against the run of play, Robbie Fowler converted a winning penalty in the eightieth minute.

It was their second league win in eight attempts, but they are now unbeaten in three matches and their record of five victories away from home cannot be bettered anywhere in the division. Chirpiness is returning to Venables. “I’m pleased with that,” he said. “Now we’ve got to get a grip of ourselves at Elland Road.”

Milner, whose tender age was enough to prevent his registration for the Uefa Cup, was a first-half replacement for Alan Smith, substituted with a facial injury. Milner has made a handful of fleeting appearances this season and has improved each time. “Although it’s early for him, the other players respect him,” Venables said. “He’s not just a solid boy, he’s also very talented.”

While naturally cautious, Venables can see potential. “He’s come into the team because there are a lot of other people out, but he’s got two good feet, he’s courageous and I like him very much. His attitude is important, but I’m confident about him.”

On another day, there would have been a different hero, because Kevin Phillips should have won this match single-handed. The England forward struck the crossbar, repeatedly shot along the face of goal and twice bore down on Paul Robinson but came unstuck. Although it was not quite a miracle, Sunderland supporters must have felt that they were seeing things because their team ignored the mishaps and lifted their chins.

Perhaps, after nearly two years of barrel-scraping, a corner has been turned at the Stadium of Light. Perhaps Leeds will come to say the same. While there was nothing to intimate that either team will reach the end of the season without suffering another defeat and make a last dash for Europe, nor was this a day for celebrating lost causes.

Wilkinson described it as “our best all-round attacking performance since I arrived” and urged his players to “carry that to bed with them”.

They grasped the lead when Proctor clambered above Ian Harte to meet a cross from Phillips. It was also Proctor who felled Harry Kewell and Fowler placed his kick low and to the left.

It was cruel on Sunderland, yet not catastrophic. “We’ve got 18 games to go and we can either choose to remember this result or the performance that went with it,” Wilkinson said. “If we had been third in the league tonight, the mood would have been philosophical but very positive. If we fell into the trap of being anything other than that, we would have a problem.”

Milner’s milestone could be remembered for other reasons.

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): J Macho — S Wright, J Craddock, P Babb, M Gray — M Proctor (sub: M Stewart, 82min), G McCann, P Thirlwell (sub: G McCartney, 82), K Kilbane — K Phillips, T A Flo (sub: K Kyle, 82). Substitutes not used: M Ingham, J Bjorklund. Booked: Proctor.

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): P Robinson — G Kelly, D Mills, T Lucic, I Harte (sub: M Duberry, 59) — A Smith (sub: J Milner, 36), E Bakke, P Okon, J Wilcox — M Viduka (sub: R Fowler, 77), H Kewell. Substitutes not used: N Martyn, S Johnson. Booked: Viduka.

Referee: M Dean