Leeds United 2 - 0 Sunderland

	Alan Smith finds it tough going (Michael Steele/Allsport)

After a run of just two wins in their previous eight Premier League matches, they had slipped to 12th place. But they were back to something like their European best as they romped home with goals either side of half-time from Lee Bowyer and Mark Viduka.

They also halted the run of Peter Reid's inform Sunderland, who had won four League matches in a row.

Reid might have known it would come to an end at Elland Road. This is the Sunderland hoodoo zone. It was in 1961 that they last won in this part of west Yorkshire and they rarely looked like ending this bleak record.

It was not just the result that delighted O'Leary and the Leeds fans. Harry Kewell made his first start of the season and played a major part in fellow Australian Viduka's clinching strike.

And, on top of that, there was the return of David Batty, who made his first senior appearance for over a year after overcoming an injury that looked like ending his career.

Sunderland started brightly enough but, gradually, they were forced on to the back foot by the sheer weight of Leeds pressure.

Leeds put together a neat move in the eighth minute that almost produced a goal and it was only Sunderland's good luck that foiled them after a Kewell cross caused anxiety in the Sunderland goalmouth.

Alan Smith tried to turn on the ball but it was Viduka's shot that cannoned off Thomas Sorensen's legs and away for a corner. Leeds maintained that initiative, pushing forward at all times and creating all sorts of problems for the visitors' defence.

Olivier Dacourt cracked a sizzling drive from 25 yards that Sorensen was relieved to see flash past the angle.

The game was always competitive but Emerson Thome was fortunate when he hauled back Viduka in the 20th minute as the Aussie was racing towards the penalty area. Another yard would have produced a penalty but the Brazilian was shown an inevitable yellow card.

But Leeds had to wait only another two minutes to grab the goal their pressure deserved. And again it was an attack that left Sunderland at sixes and sevens at the back.

Eric Bakke and Viduka were involved in the build-up but it was a poor clearance from Jody Craddock that presented an easy opportunity for Bowyer to shoot low past Sorensen's right hand.

Sunderland looked unruffled and their neat passing created an opening that should have produced an equaliser on the half-hour. Michael Gray's high cross was headed down by Kevin Phillips to Niall Quinn who dragged the ball wide of the target with only Paul Robinson to beat.

Bakke was next in the book three minutes later for a heavy challenge on Alex Rae as Sunderland became more competitive towards the end of the half.

Sunderland had another narrow escape in the first-half injury time when Smith's goal thrust was interrupted unfairly by Craddock, who was shown the third yellow card of the match..

They followed thick and fast after the break as well - Viduka for tripping Kilbane, Phillips for a foul on Bowyer, Gavin McCann for pulling back Kewell, Jonathan Woodgate for a similar offence on Phillips.

And the tempo of the match never flagged, with the balance of power switching from end to end.

Sunderland had the luckier escapes, especially in the 65th minute when Bakke tried a clever back-heel from Rio Ferdinand's cross and held his hands in anguish as the ball came back off a post with Viduka knocking the rebound wide.

Ferdinand certainly repaid a slice of his £18million signing fee in the 70th minute with a great tackle on Quinn when the big striker looked certain to equalise.

Seven minutes later Leeds made it 2-0 through their Australian connection. Kewell switched to the right and put over a left-footed cross which Viduka, charging into the box unchallenged, headed into the right-handed corner for his 12th League goal of the season.

It was the signal for David O'Leary to play his master card and he picked the perfect opportunity.

The Elland Road stands erupted when Batty took over from Dacourt. And the tough midfielder, whose career was threatened after three operations to cure achilles tendon problems, was soon tested by a crunching challenge from McCann.