Wanderers Res 1 Leeds United Res 3 - PAUL Warhurst and Ricardo Gardner gave Sam Allardyce a welcome boost when they played their way back into the Premiership reckoning last night.

The duo made successful comebacks from injury at Gigg Lane and can expect to return to the squad for Sunday's trip to Spurs.

Jay Jay Okocha also put his name in the frame for the White Hart Lane clash after asking to play in the second string fixture. None of the three saw out the full 90 minutes but Allardyce confirmed they had all come through unscathed.

Their presence and the second half appearance of Stig Tofting was not enough to prevent Wanderers slipping to their fifth successive defeat in the Barclaycard Premiership Reserves League, although Jonathan Walters appeared to have salvaged a point when he cashed in on Michael Duberry's mistake nine minutes from time.

The youngster's goal cancelled out Jamie McMaster's 10th minute opener but a minute later Duberry atoned for his error to put Leeds back in front. Five minutes from time Caleb Forlan put the game out of Wanderers' reach.

Okocha, who has struggled to establish himself in Allardyce's first 11, showed touches of class in the first half when he set up a scoring chance, which Chris Armstrong squandered, and forced Nigel Martyn to make an outstanding save to keep out a powerful right-footer.

Wanderers: Poole; Richardson, David Holdsworth, Livesey, Smith; Okocha (Taylor 75 mins), Warhurst (Niven 67 mins), Akin, Gardner (Tofting h-t); Walters, Armstrong.

Leeds United: Martyn; Burns, Lucic, Duberry, Candsell-Sherriff; Bridges, Milner, Keegan (Winter 60), Singh; McMaster (Folan 75 mins), Viduka (Johnson 75 mins).