BUILDING from the back may be slowly paying dividends for Leeds United.

Seven clean sheets from their opening 12 Coca-Cola Championship games has seen Kevin Blackwell's squad crawl their way into the top half of the table.

They were perhaps fortunate to beat Preston 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday but they are difficult to beat.

The match was poor, with unease bubbling under the surface and eventually boiling over when Preston assistant boss David Kelly was sent off in the second half after verbals with the fourth official Craig Barker.

The lack of goals from United's forwards has been well documented - with Julian Joachim the only front man to score a League goal this season.

But left-side midfielder Danny Pugh has showed an eye for goal and his 79th minute winner was his sixth strike of the season.

The goal owed a lot to the persistence of on-loan Brett Ormerod, who ploughed through a couple of weak tackles on the left. His cross eventually fell to Pugh whose shot found the roof of the net.

Joachim, midfielder Jermaine Wright and defender Stephen Crainey were all missing through injury which may explain why Leeds struggled to put so few passing movements together.

The stuttering midfield was also not helped by an immobile performance from Michael Ricketts, who was hauled off after an hour.

Preston were sharper in the tackle, passed the ball quickly and accurately and generally looked the better side.

But like so many visiting teams before them this term they rarely tested Neil Sullivan in the Leeds goal. That is a testament to the hosts' defensive qualities.

Skipper Paul Butler and Clarke Carlisle have welded an iron central defensive partnership which shut out David Healy and former York City man Richard Cresswell.

Preston have rejected a third bid from Leeds for Healy. Leeds, like their fans, may have to be patient.

Updated: 10:50 Monday, October 18, 2004