No sooner did Leeds uncover a remedy for what was a definite weakness in results at home than their squad have been struck by a bout of travel sickness which is far from terminal but which has become acute.

United's league defeat in Southend last night was their third of the season away from home and the players who were present at Elland Road before this summer do not need telling that the figure is two short of the total sustained by Leeds in League One matches over the entire 2007-08 term.

Several impressive statistics were created during United's fight against their 15-point deduction, but special though last season was, Gary McAllister's intention would have been to match as closely as possible the final total of points achieved.

It is safe to assume that he would not have budgeted for three away losses by the end of October, all arriving back-to-back.

That figure has materialised without an obvious explanation. United were deservedly beaten by both Peterborough United and Millwall and Southend were worth their victory last night after an end-to-end game which required only one goal to settle it.

In the meantime, Leeds have won seven matches in succession in Yorkshire, all with the bristling confidence of a team who expect to take their leave of League One in 2009.

Leeds were not outclassed at Roots Hall – a stadium that has never yielded victory to the Elland Road club – but, in similar style to their games at London Road and the New Den, they were some distance below their best.

The issue facing McAllister is that goals, which arrive so regularly in home fixtures, are less frequent outside Elland Road.

Asked afterwards why United's results had dropped away suddenly, captain Frazer Richardson struggled to find a clear reason, admitting the trend was damaging and peculiar.

He and McAllister were equally honest about the low quality of United's attacking finesse and final ball and the failing was key at Roots Hall.

They also agreed that the best solution would be a victory at Cheltenham this weekend, at another stadium where Leeds have never won.

Leeds, as a team, saw plenty of the ball last night but the same could not be said of their strikers and the breakdown of a link between midfield and attack, which has worked well this season, left United exposed to the quality of a team who do not often lose at home.

It seemed that Leeds might be assisted by the absence from Southend's line-up of Lee Barnard and Dougie Freedman, but the game was dictated by one of Steve Tilson's less renowned strikers, Francis Laurent, and settled by a full-back who United know well.