New owners, same old story. Not since a certain David Ginola scored at Leicester in April have Tottenham won away from home, and they never looked like ending that miserable run last night once Southampton had scored twice in two minutes just before half-time.

The defensive frailty which allowed Kevin Davies and James Beattie to secure a deserved Southampton win was evident all evening and only woodwork prevented Trond Soltvedt adding a late third.

Not that Tottenham had promised to be pushovers. They hammered Southampton 7-2 at White Hart Lane last March, and with speculation mounting that Glenn Hoddle may be asked to manage Spurs by the new owners Enic, George Graham may have seen this as a chance to prove a point.

The Scot dropped Tim Sherwood to give Oyvind Leonhardsen his first start for two months after a hamstring injury, and the Norwegian, supporting the strikers from an advanced midfield role, had an opportunity to give Spurs the lead in the sixth minute. However, supplied by Stephen Clemence, he volleyed over.

By then, though, Tottenham should have been behind. A dreadful backpass by Alton Thelwell allowed Davies to bear down on goal inside 60 seconds, but the former Blackburn striker found the side instead of the back of the net after rounding Neil Sullivan.

Sullivan was forced into a low save when Jo Tessem was given a shooting opportunity from a neat Marian Pahars pass, and the sight of Pahars bursting clear and sending in a dangerous cross was indicative of the danger Southampton posed when they used the flanks.

Yet Spurs had opportunities of their own. Paul Jones was forced off his line to save at the feet of Chris Armstrong, and Stephen Carr was close to latching on to a pass by the otherwise quiet Sergei Rebrov.

In fact, it seemed Spurs had done enough to go in level at the end of the first half until two goals in the space of two minutes shortly before the interval turned the game Southampton's way.

A long pass down the left wing by Wayne Bridge created the first, sending Beattie clear to cut in and coolly curl a shot beyond Sullivan for his ninth goal in nine matches.

Spurs were just digesting that blow when Southampton struck again. Once more their weakness on the wing was exposed, with Pahars finding space to cross from the right and Davies arriving at the far post to sidefoot a firm volley between Sullivan and the upright.

Graham switched from 3-5-2 to a back four at half-time, yet the result was not greater solidity. Almost immediately Sullivan had to parry from the substitute Tahar El Khalej and saw Beattie return the ball just wide.

The introduction of Sherwood did give Spurs more bite in midfield, but they found clear chances hard to come by against a defence well-marshalled by Dean Richards. When Rebrov departed to be replaced by Gary Doherty, he must have been reconsidering his pre-season insistence that Spurs could win the title.

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Lundekvam, Richards, Bridge, Draper (Soltvedt 64), Beattie (Rosler 88), Pahars, Marsden (El Khalej 45), Tessem, Davies. Subs Not Used: Moss, Bleidelis. Booked: El Khalej. Goals: Beattie 38, Davies 40.

Tottenham: Sullivan, Carr (Sherwood 45), Perry, Campbell, Thelwell, King, Leonhardsen, Clemence, Anderton, Rebrov (Doherty 60), Armstrong (Korsten 81). Subs Not Used: Walker, Davies. Booked: Clemence, Campbell, Anderton.

Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).