Saints: Totally Eclipsed

After the shining start at Coventry, this first home game was almost as eagerly anticipated as the solar eclipse - and just as much of a disappointment.

This was a huge let-down as sparkless Saints were bullied in their own back yard - pay-back time for last season's reverse score, the most humiliating defeat of David O'Leary's management.

Yet beforehand all the talk was that this might be a good time to play Leeds. With a shortage of strikers they only had Michael Bridges up front. Thank Heavens they did not have any others!

Burning Bridges was on fire. He hit a scorching hat-trick and had a fourth effort disallowed for offside to demonstrate just why Dave Jones tried to buy him last season.

The Saints boss tried hard to prise him away from Sunderland nine months ago but the Wearsiders did not want to sell while they were chasing promotion.

Ironically Bridges's own place was threatened before this match when Leeds completed the £4 million signing of Darren Huckerby - and he responded in blistering fashion.

But, for all his finishing prowess, it has to be said he had a helping hand from the Saints defence for each of his three goals.

The first after just ten minutes stemmed from a harshly-awarded free-kick. Ian Harte's chip was nodded away from Michael Duberry by Claus Lundekvam and the ball fell to Bridges in far too much space.

With no-one marking him and Chris Marsden having to come from distance to close him down, he had time to control with his sidefoot before measuring a cushioned volley over Paul Jones and into the top right corner.

The second goal was set up by a storming run down the Leeds right by exciting £4 million right-back Danny Mills who steamed past Francis Benali six minutes after the break. Dean Richards stumbled as the low centre came in, leaving Bridges a sim-ple knock-in from six yards.

He made it one, two, three O'Leary 18 minutes from time when he escaped the attentions of Matthew Oakley to steer in a free header from Harte's left-wing corner at the near post.

But Bridges was only the pinnacle of a mighty impressive young Leeds team who are already being compared with the great Don Revie side - not least for their strongarm tactics and niggling, narky midfielders!

It was a tough baptism for new Premiership referee Alan Wiley who booked nine without ever totally getting to grips with the Leeds elbows, shirt-tugging and over-reaction to fouls.

And Saints never really coped with it either as they were muscled out of this contest by the physical, forceful and fast football of a Leeds side who were at it from the off and never let up. They had pace and power throughout the whole team and Leeds were able to launch accurate long-range artillery for their pacy runners to chase.

The three centre-backs were giants who gave nothing away, although they were helped by being able to meet everything head-on. Not once did they have to turn and face - unlike the Southampton defence who were constantly being stretched.

The midfield snapped and snarled to close down the instant Saints got the ball. Consequently, far too many simple passes went astray, giving no penetration or width.

Mark Hughes did his best to fight fire with fire, strongly aided by Chris Marsden until he limped off with a suspected broken toe. After that Saints were over-run and thankful not to lose by more.

Paul Jones made two incredible saves, diving to his left to tip over a point-blank range effort by the ever dangerous Lee Bowyer and then rushing from his line to somehow divert Harry Kewell's 20-yard shot onto the roof of the net.

Saints needed a powerful four across the middle but had to accommodate Matthew Le Tissier. Like the cloud-covered eclipse, there was a feeling there was something spectacular lurking underneath but it was well hidden.

And how they missed James Beattie up front! Saints were crying out for a big, physical presence to get in amongst the defence and rattle them.

There was just the one spell when they looked like doing that in the 15 minutes before half-time when they briefly had Leeds reeling.

Marian Pahars had a low 25-yard shot blocked by Michael Duberry with Jonathan Woodgate hurling himself in the way of Marsden's follow-up and Le Tissier then volleying over from the left of goal.

And Mark Hughes was convinced he had scored a trademark volley which might have changed the game.

But that is clutching at straws since Leeds were faster, stronger and more effective throughout.

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