Leeds United and Liverpool had to make do with a point apiece after an exciting 2-2 draw at Elland Road in Leeds on Sunday.
All the goals came in an action-packed first half as Leeds old boy Harry Kewell opened the scoring for Liverpool before Eirik Bakke and Kewell’s fellow Australia international Mark Viduka put United 2-1 up.
But three minutes before half-time Milan Baros made it 2-2.
The result left cash-strapped Leeds bottom of the table although now only a point behind Leicester.
Liverpool remained sixth, a point behind fifth-placed Charlton.
However, they were still three points behind fourth-placed Newcastle, currently occupying the last Champions League spot, with Sir Bobby Robson’s side playing Portsmouth later on Sunday.
Afterwards Leeds manager Eddie Gray, who saw his club once more stave off administration on Friday, was upbeat about the team’s chances of avoiding relegation.
”We have enough players to get us out of trouble but we need our front boys [Smith and Viduka] playing because they are a handful for anyone,” Gray told Sky Sports TV.
”It will be tough but we are capable of giving anyone a game,” the former Leeds and Scotland star added.
His Liverpool counterpart Gerard Houllier said ”football was the winner” after this end-to-end contest.
But the under-pressure Frenchman added: ”If this was a boxing match I think we would have won on points but credit to them [Leeds]. They played well.”
Michael Owen went close for Liverpool early on before Reds skipper Steven Gerrard set up Kewell who saw his shot pushed away by Leeds ‘keeper Paul Robinson.
But it was Leeds who should have gone 1-0 up in the 21st minute when Liverpool ‘keeper Chris Kirkland dropped a James Milner cross under pressure from Leeds striker Alan Smith.
However, Viduka somehow made a mess of the sidefoot tap-in and from the resulting counter-attack Liverpool’s Australia forward
showed how it should be done.
After Liverpool broke down field, Baros fed Kewell, who curled a 20-yard left-foot shot past Robinson, which temporarily stunned the Elland Road boo-boys who greeted his every touch with howls of derision.
But Leeds hit back within eight minutes, Didier Domi, Smith and Jermaine Pennant linking to set up Bakke, who flicked the ball home past Kirkland.
Liverpool might have been level soon afterwards but Baros’s header from Gerrard’s cross bounced back off the bar.
Instead it was Leeds who went ahead when Robinson’s goal-kick was accidentally headed on by Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia to Smith.
He controlled the ball on his chest and then volleyed a pass to Viduka who lobbed his seventh goal of the season over Kirkland in the 34th minute.
But a moment of individual brilliance saw Liverpool draw level when Czech forward Baros weaved his way past Seth Johnson and Domi before shooting powerfully past Robinson.
After half-time Smith nearly put Leeds ahead again, the England striker’s shot just angling beyond the far post with Kirkland beaten.
Smith went even closer in the 72nd minute when he hit the crossbar. Then, with two minutes left, impressive England ‘keeper Robinson produced a superb save to tip over Dietmar Hamann’s 25-yard drive.
From the resulting corner Leeds cleared Emile Heskey’s header off the line.
Then, in the second minute of injury time, Leeds saw Johnson’s corner headed goalwards by Domi only for it to be deflected clear barely a yard away from goal. — Sapa-AFP