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LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) Derby County today beat Southampton 1-0 at St Mary's with a Steve Howard goal seven minutes from time to maintain their drive for a return to the English Premier League after five years in the second division.

It was Derby's fourth successive 1-0 league win, their eighth win in a row in all competitions and it moved them six points clear of second-placed Preston North End.

Preston, bidding to get back to the top flight for the first time since 1961, moved up from third with a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday with David Nugent scoring twice and Brett Ormerod once after Wednesday had taken an early lead.

With 31 of 46 matches played Derby have 62 points, Preston 56 and West Bromwich Albion 55.

West Brom won 1-0 at Hull City where Senegal's Diomansy Kamara scored for the fourth successive match to tajke his taklly for the seasoin to 18 and move West Bromn ahead of Birmingham City, the former leaders, who slipped back from second to fourth after being held to a 1-1 draw at Colchester United.

Colchester had taken a 55th minute lead through Kemal Izzet but Stephen Clemence equalised for the Blues 11 minutes later.

Leeds United appeared to be heading off the bottom early in the afternoon when they led 1-0 at Norwich City and Southend United, one place above them but with the same number of points, were losing at Stoke.

But Leeds ended up losing 2-1 at Norwich where former Leeds player Darren Huckerby scored the winning goal and Southend recovered to draw at Stoke City with Freddie Eastwood hitting their equaliser four minutes from time.

Leeds, who have never played in the third tier in their 87-year-history, remain bottom and favourites for the drop, with 27 points, while Southend have 28, three behind Hull.

REUTERS SBA BST0320