THE controversy over Leeds United's disallowed penalty at Southend hasn't distracted some fans from puzzling over the role of David Healy this season.

Although the referee may have cost Leeds two valuable points at Roots Hall, he cannot be blamed for the other 79 points the team has failed to pick up in the campaign so far.

The enigma that is Healy may turn out to have played a massive part if Leeds United do get relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time.

Healy is still Leeds' leading scorer this season - his superb, point-saving strike at fellow Championship strugglers Southend on Saturday taking him to eight - even though he has only started 25 of United's 39 games, and finished only 15 of those.

He missed three games through injury or suspension but since the arrival of Dennis Wise as manager Healy has been on the bench nine times, once unused. All but two of those have been away from home and mostly he has come on for less than 20 minutes, yet ironically half of Healy's goals have been scored on the road.

This is all in stark contrast to the striker's form for Northern Ireland for whom he is record goalscorer, notching 24 in 54 games including four this season, leading manager Lawrie Sanchez to wonder why Healy had not been picked up by a Premiership club.

"I could pick out a weakness in every player but you don't look at weaknesses when strengths far outnumber them as they do with David. His main strength is simple - he scores goals," Sanchez said.

With Leeds struggling for goals to survive, it is something of a surprise that Wise has left Healy on the bench for the last three games. Is it loss of form, something wrong with the player's attitude or just that Leeds' midfield is incapable of creating the kind of opportunities that suit Healy?

At some clubs he would be the first name on the team-sheet, with the tactics built round his predatory instincts, just as they are for his country, that's not so at Leeds where fans can only hope the goal against Southend marks a start of a run of scoring by Healy that gets them out of the mire.

Healy, Radostin Kishishev and Jonathan Douglas - will be involved in international matches next Wednesday and then be expected to play again on the Friday night.

Douglas will be returning from Dublin following home matches against Wales and Slovakia, Healy will be coming back from Belfast having also travelled to Liechtenstein for a match on Saturday, while Kishishev faces a trek back from Bulgaria after their Wednesday night match against Albania.