Viduka strike earns Leeds 1-1 tie with Reds

Viduka strike earns Leeds 1-1 tie with Reds

LONDON (AP): Mark Viduka headed an equalizer seven minutes
from the end to deny Manchester United victory at Elland Road on
Saturday as Leeds hit back for a 1-1 tie.

After Fabien Barthez had saved an Ian Harte penalty in first
half injury time, Luke Chadwick scored a breakaway goal for the
Reds in the 64th minute. Alex Ferguson's team appeared to be
going 19 points clear of its rivals but Viduka's late header
earned a deserved point for David O'Leary's team.

The Leeds players thought they had gained all three when
United defender Wes Brown slid the ball into the back of his own
net from a Lee Bowyer cross in injury time but the goal was ruled
out for an offside.

The result meant that Ferguson's team temporarily moved 17
points ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League title race pending
the rest of Saturday's action.

A week after firing five first half goals past Arsenal in a 6-
1 thrashing at Old Trafford, the Reds, forced to play without
injured Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane, failed to manage a single shot
in the first 45 minutes at Elland Road and should have gone into
the interval a goal down.

After making a good save from Harte's angled, left-wing free
kick, Barthez dropped a corner kick under no real pressure from
the same player in first half injury time and, feeling his shirt
had been pulled, reacted by kicking out at the Leeds defender.

Referee Graham Barber awarded a penalty, showed the yellow
card to the Frenchman who then dived to make a brilliant save to
keep out Harte's spot kick.

Both teams made changes at half time with Harry Kewell and
Alan Smith replacing Robbie Keane and Dominic Matteo for Leeds
and Ferguson sending on young midfielder Chadwick for Nicky Butt.