Leeds United 4 - 3 Liverpool

	Viduka skips towards goal (AlexLivesey/Allsport)

To be frank, this succession of tributes from the Leeds manager has begun to get up the noses of his fellow Premiership professionals.

But then it is impossible to proffer dissenting words against such post-match monologues when his patchwork quilt of a team continue to produce such a magnificent response to his urgings.

Consider the situation a mere 18 minutes into the early starter at Elland Road: two goals adrift and with Jonathan Woodgate taking the number of injured first-team players into double figures after limping off with a groin injury.

With Liverpool in seemingly rampant mode it was surely all over, bar the shouting. But then, as O'Leary will have you know, you can never be sure with Leeds.

They hit back with two Mark Viduka goals, then saw Liverpool forge ahead again before snatching the unlikeliest of victories with a further two-goal salvo courtesy of the Aussie striker.

Viduka was fully entitled to the giant bear-hug he received from a grateful O'Leary at the whistle. But then 21-year-old goalkeeper Paul Robinson was equally deserving for his superb interventions when first Emile Heskey and then Christian Ziege threatened killer additions to Liverpool's tally.

'I'm just delighted to have won the game,' said O'Leary. 'I liked beating Liverpool as a player and I like it as a manager. We're very depleted and we gifted them two goals.

'Although I always believed Viduka and Alan Smith would trouble their back four, at that stage I didn't think I'd be talking about a precious victory. 'When you look at the personnel they had on the pitch and on the bench and then examine our personnel, you will understand why I'm so delighted with the result.'

In fact, Leeds named only four substitutes instead of five because O'Leary judged there was no other candidate capable of taking part in the proceedings if necessary.

'We had a bit of luck but there are times when you have to say results can be better than performances,' he confessed.

In truth, Leeds defended woefully in the opening stages. Sami Hyypia was allowed a free header after a mere 41 seconds and Ziege took the opportunity to follow suit 17 minutes later.

Viduka signalled the possibility of some kind of response six minutes later with a cute chip over the advancing Sander Westerveld after Ziege had allowed Smith to charge down his attempted clearance.

Seconds after the interval, Viduka headed Leeds level, only for Vladimir Smicer to nose Liverpool in front once more on the hour.

But there then followed a double calamity for Gerard Houllier's men.

In the 73rd minute, Viduka spun away sharply from Patrik Berger and buried his shot expertly in the corner.

Two minutes later and there was further drama when a mis-hit Olivier Dacourt shot was controlled by Viduka and lifted over Westerveld while strike partner Smith lurked nearby in a clear offside position.

'That fourth goal was offside,' protested Liverpool boss Houllier. 'I thought the decision was a bit dodgy. We are very disappointed because at times we produced some very good football and outplayed them.

'We didn't drop one point today . . . we dropped all three. But I thought our defence physically collapsed in the last 20 minutes after our Worthington Cup exertions against Chelsea in midweek.'

Leeds will have undoubtedly received a massive boost from such an unlikely victory as they bid to further their interest in the Champions League by avoiding defeat against AC Milan in the San Siro on Wednesday night.