Leeds United 1-0 Coventry City

	Court Dash: Lee Bowyer in action against Coventry (Mike Finn-Kelcey/Allsport)

Lee Bowyer had raced to Elland Road from his court case in Hull to help fuel the home club's bid to keep alive their slim hopes of a place in Europe next season. The former England Under 21 midfielder was in robust form as Leeds struggled to improve on a dismal home record and banish the disappointment of their FA Cup exit last weekend.

Despite being named in the 18-man squad for the game, England centre half Jon Woodgate, who had also travelled from the court in Hull, was ruled out after a scan on a heel injury picked up in the 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round defeat by Liverpool. It could keep him out for several weeks.

Woodgate's enforced absence was less of a blow given that skip-per Lucas Radebe was back from World Cup duty with South Africa, albeit having recanted on his previous promise to quit the international scene after Saturday's win over Burkina Faso.

Radebe's club v country dilemma has been only one of manager David O'Leary's mounting problems in a season the manager has described as roller- coaster and which found him last night looking to record a second successive League win for the first time since October.

Coventry's proud record of 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight has rarely been under greater threat, and there was a sympathetic reception for manager Gordon Strachan - an enduring Leeds hero for his inspired captaincy to Second and First Division titles under Howard Wilkinson.

But there was only a sprinkling of Coventry fans to urge on a team who have slipped to second bottom in the table, six points ahead of Bradford having played one game more.

Radebe and Rio Ferdinand have quickly formed an understanding that allows the £18million England man to venture upfield on occasion, and Ferdinand almost put Leeds in front after eight minutes from a return pass from Eirik Bakke but Magnus Hedman was alert enough to save.

When Bowyer caught Moustapha Hadji, the Coventry skipper went down in a heap and players gathered. But referee Rob Harris, no stranger to controversy, was not convinced that Bowyer deserved a yellow card at that point although the offence was almost more severely punished as Coventry defender Gary Breen was within a whisker of heading David Thompson's free-kick past Nigel Martyn.

There was no escaping Harris's notebook a minute later for Thompson, though, when the former Liverpool player caught Bakke in full flight. Striker Craig Bellamy followed his team-mate soon after in rather more surprising circumstances, when Harris booked him for time-wasting after the Coventry man decided to let Marcus Hall take a delayed throw-in.

Bowyer - and Harris - then incurred the wrath of the Coventry dug-out when the Leeds midfielder appeared to catch Hall near the touchline but was allowed to carry on and release Viduka in front of goal. The Australia striker was able to push the ball beyond the advancing Hedman but was too slow to capitalise as the fourth official attempted to calm Coventry's furious coaching staff.

Their tempers were frayed once more when Bowyer was floored by a Hadji tackle minutes before half-time and, despite the entreaties of several Coventry players, Harris reached for his yellow card to caution the visiting captain.

Coventry's paltry return of just 23 League goals was partially explained by Hall's dreadful attempt with a free header that went nowhere near the direction of Martyn's goal when Thompson crossed before half-time.

At the other end Keane, facing his former team-mates for the first time since his £13m move to Inter Milan, shot straight at the diving Hedman when Bowyer's ball slipped him through.

Harris managed to book three more players before the hour was up, Bakke and Viduka for Leeds and John Eustace for bringing down Bowyer, who was putting in a man-of-the-match performance with precious little to show for it.

Leeds' free-kick specialist Ian Harte looked to have ended the deadlock when he launched a thunderbolt through the defensive wall after 61 minutes but the shot was straight at Hedman and the Swede was able to parry.

But on-loan striker Keane pulled a marvellous goal out of nowhere to stun his old team with a brilliantly executed overhead kick after Thompson had cleared off the line from Viduka. It Keane's seventh since joining Leeds from Inter.

Leeds United (4-4-2): Martyn; Mills, Ferdinand, Radebe, Harte; Bowyer, Bakke, Batty, Wilcox; Keane, Viduka. Booked: Bakke, Viduka, Bowyer, Mills.

Coventry City (3-5-2): Hedman; Shaw, Breen, Williams; Quinn, Thompson, Eustace, Carsley, Hall; Hadji, Bellamy. Booked: Thompson, Bellamy, Hadji, Eustace, Hall.

Referee: Rob Harris