FABRICE FERNANDES admitted luck played a part in his dramatic Elland Road equaliser.

The Frenchman scored direct from a free-kick in the 89th minute to secure Saints a deserved 1-1 draw - after jumps from Jo Tessem and Danny Mills appeared to wrong-foot Leeds' goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Fernandes had been a constant menace all afternoon, but admitted: "It was lucky - I do practice them in training from the left and from the right.

"But the aim is to put the ball into the danger area for someone to get a head on.

"If it is on target then that can sometimes happen, but I did not mean it.

"The gaffer said to me yesterday that it had been a long time since I had scored so I told him I would do my best - but I did not mean it quite like that!

"Even though it was a bit fortunate there is no doubt we deserved the draw. It was a very fair result.

"We had the better of the first half and had good opportunities to score one or two goals, but they had more chances after the break.

"It was 50-50 so it was the right result overall. We played well today.

"We worked hard and it is nice that we are being rewarded with a few late goals now instead of conceding them as we were earlier in the season."

The goal was Fernandes' fourth of the season and extends Saints' unbeaten run to five.

But the 24-year-old insists the team are still not thinking about the possibility of qualifying for Europe - even though the point pushed his side back into seventh place above Tottenham, who play Manchester City tonight.

He added: "We just give 100 per cent each game and then we will look at it in May and see where we are.

"It is far too early to think about Europe, we are not looking beyond our next match at Chelsea."

Fernandes also backed Leeds to pull clear of the bottom six, saying: "They will dig themselves out. They have far too much quality to stay there.

"They are having a bad time right now but only two years ago they were in the Champions League and beating everyone."