Sunderland... 0 Southampton... 1: When the pair were at Elland Road a decade ago Howard Wilkinson and Gordon Strachan marched on together. Last night as Sunderland lost for the 14th time this season and Southampton moved above Liverpool into sixth place, the two men continued to drift apart.

In front of their lowest crowd in the Premiership Wilkinson's team took 69 minutes to have a shot on target. It fell to Kevin Phillips and Antti Niemi saved it with an outstretched boot. The contrast with what had come 20 minutes earlier was the difference on the night. Then James Beattie, well ahead of Phillips in the England pecking order, scored his 16th league goal.

Sunderland began with purpose but converting grit into goals has long been their failing and Niemi was still awaiting his first shot as the half-hour mark came and went. Niemi's opposite number, Thomas Sorensen, was no more busy until Southampton awoke in the last seven minutes of the first half. Fabrice Fernandes curled a free-kick over the home wall. Sorensen pawed it gratefully onto a post.

Growing in confidence, Southampton broke away shortly before half-time. This time it was Anders Svensson and Sorensen was stretching again to tip away a side-footer bound for the net.

Had Beattie shown more composure less than a minute after the restart Sunderland's hole would have been a lot deeper when he blazed over the bar.

Four minutes later, though, Beattie displayed why he is likely to be an England international very soon. When Michael Svensson lofted the ball out of the visitors' defence little of consequence looked on. But suddenly Beattie found space and as he bore down on Sorensen the striker kept his head, rounded the goalkeeper and tapped the ball home.

Not until Kevin Kilbane lofted a 63rd-minute pass over the Southampton defence, was Phillips given a sniff. That is all it was but he managed to turn it into an effort which rolled into the side netting. Wilkinson took off Kilbane and Phil Babb whose substitution was cheered by the home fans.

SUNDERLAND: Sorensen, McCartney, Babb (Thirlwell 64), Craddock, Gray, Arca, Stewart (Kyle 71), McCann, Kilbane (Clark 64), Proctor, Phillips. Subs Not Used: Macho, Oster. Booked: Proctor.

SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi, Benali, Williams, Michael Svensson, Telfer, Anders Svensson, Oakley, Delap (Tessem 36), Fernandes (Dodd 70), Beattie (Davies 87), Marsden. Subs Not Used: Jones, Ormerod. Goals: Beattie 50.

Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).