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.