Fernandes fans the home fires for Venables

A home draw is not the gift every football manager would want in his Christmas stocking but for Terry Venables' beggars cannot be choosers. Bereft of even a Premiership point at Elland Road for over three months, Leeds United at least broke that curse yesterday even if it ultimately came as small blessing.

You had to go back to 14 September for the last time they won at home in the League (that that win was against Manchester United made it stick even more in local memory) and with Leeds leading with two minutes to go thanks to Harry Kewell's 73rd-minute goal, three points seemed to be theirs for the taking.

True to his troubled time at Leeds, however, Venables' perfect riposte to his many West Yorkshire deriders was diluted by an equaliser so soft it could have been medically prescribed to tone down a manager's festivities. Fabrice Fernandes took an innocuous–looking free-kick with his left foot and with the home defenders ducking under or running past it, the ball curled past a surprised Paul Robinson into the net.

Venables looked aghast on the touchline and maybe the shock lingered because he did not face the press afterwards. Instead his assistant, Eddie Gray, stated the obvious. "The players are disappointed with their defending for the goal," he said. "It's difficult for them at Elland Road. They need a couple of results for them to start performing as we know they can."

The climax spoiled a week that started with a 3-0 win at Bolton, creating such impetus that Leeds began yesterday like a side who had turned Elland Road into a fortress. Kewell and Alan Smith were prominent but the latter's dipping shot into the roof of net after 17 minutes came after the tide had begun to turn. Southampton might have reached the interval three goals in front.

They did get the ball in the net after 22 minutes when Chris Marsden headed in Brett Ormerod's cross – an effort disallowed because of an offside fiercely contested by the Southampton manager Gordon Strachan – but their failure to take something tangible into the dressing room at half-time stemmed from a piece of bad luck and a good block from Robinson.

The first came after 37 minutes when Paul Telfer galloped into the space on Leeds' left and passed towards the penalty spot. Ormerod got to the ball just ahead of Teddy Lucic and his shot slapped against the bar before bouncing clear. Two minutes later Saints raided down the right, Fernandes skipping outside Ian Harte's challenge. The cross was accurate, only this time James Beattie's effort was stopped by Robinson's legs.

Venables clearly had to alter something and, to his credit, the introduction of Mark Viduka for the listless Fowler brought an impetus to the home side that had been lacking. After 54 minutes Kewell intelligently went for the back post when the Saints defenders were drawn further forward, and Gary Kelly was denied only by Marsden's adroit defensive header.

A minute later Danny Mills charged on to a bouncing ball and created such havoc that Kewell was able to fire in a volley that was Leeds' first attempt on target, Antti Niemi diving to his right to stop it.

Spurred by this effort, Leeds almost took the lead just after the hour. Viduka passed inside Wayne Bridge and Jason Wilcox, deserting his normal flank to raid on the right, teed up Kewell coming in from the left. The shot beat Niemi only to find Oakley on the line and his clearance hit a post before going clear.

The pendulum had swung towards Leeds and it was fully deserved when they took the lead with 18 minutes to go. Harte's corner on the right was headed against the post and the rebound fell to Kewell who drilled a low shot through a packed six-yard box and into the net.

A happy Christmas for Leeds and Venables? Fernandes spoiled that and he almost made the turkey taste even sourer when another curling cross evaded the defenders and was kept out only by a splendid tip round the post by Robinson. "A point is the least we deserved," Strachan said.