Scowcroft stuns complacent Leeds

One of the worst weekends in Leeds United history got no better yesterday. They wanted to put the trauma of the Bowyer and Woodgate trial behind them. Instead, they threw away a two-goal lead against one of the Premiership's strugglers, and with it the chance to move into second place in the table.

The entire team were guilty of complacency and their manager, David O'Leary, who had hoped last week's victory over Blackburn had ended their recent run of patchy form, must start their rehabilitation all over again.

"We went two goals up and then stopped playing," he said. "We thought we could coast and didn't have to work hard after that. I hope these two lost points don't come home to haunt us at the end of the season."

Two men not haunting Elland Road yesterday were Jonathan Woodgate, who was elsewhere starting the community service imposed after he was convicted of affray, and his fellow defendant Lee Bowyer, who was at the training ground being treated for an injury.

For an hour it looked as though neither would be missed. Leeds had employed a security firm for fear of adverse action to the verdicts at Hull Crown Court, but for much of a one-sided first half they might more usefully have been engaged by the Leicester manager, Dave Bassett.

His penalty area was in need of additional protection as Leeds swarmed round it and hit the woodwork after just 45 seconds. Seth Johnson, back after suspension, dispossessed James Scowcroft midway in the Leicester half and fed Mark Viduka, who shot from 15 yards was pushed on to the crossbar by Ian Walker.

Six minutes later the Leicester goalkeeper was picking the ball out of his net. Ian Harte slipped the ball to Viduka and the Australian cleverly back-heeled it to his countryman Harry Kewell, who scored his 10th goal of the season with a low shot from the edge of the box.

Robbie Fowler, making his home debut for Leeds, then released Viduka, who dribbled past some tentative Leicester tackling only to shoot weakly at Walker.

When the same pair combined again, Viduka put the ball into the net with a spectacular volley, but was adjudged to be offside. Only 17 minutes had elapsed when the influential Johnson limped off to add to O'Leary's injury problems and the Leeds momentum began to falter.

Scowcroft crossed for Brian Deane and the Leeds old boys' powerful header was palmed away by Nigel Martyn before being scrambled to safety. Any anxiety that may have generated was clearly already being felt by Fowler, who scored a hat-trick at Filbert Street earlier this season and was too anxious to impress his new supporters.

Put in by Viduka he delayed his shot long enough to allow Callum Davidson to block it, and saw a hopeful chip towards the top corner, easily gathered by Walker.

Leeds had enough chances to kill the game off before half-time, but Leicester refused to lie down. Deane again went close with a header, Lee Marshall broke clear to force Martyn to concede a corner and when Deane thought he had finally scored his header was disallowed.

"I was gutted", said Bassett. "Only the referee knows why he disallowed it. But to our credit we refused to give up when we went two-nil down."

It looked as if Leeds had done enough when Gary Kelly crossed from the right and Viduka scored from six yards, but it was merely the overture to Leicester's remarkable recovery.

Inevitably, Deane started it with a low, angled finish from Davidson's cross in the 78th minute and Scowcroft earned them an unlikely point, a minute from time, when he finished off a neat, four-man move.

Muzzy Izzet crossed, the substitute Ade Akinbiyi laid it back, Deane flicked it on and Scowcroft chested the ball down before driving it beyond Martyn to complete Leeds' unhappy weekend.

O'Leary's disappointment was compounded when he was forced to defend the serialisation in a Sunday newspaper of a chapter in his forthcoming book concerning the trial.

"I got no money for this serialisation, and I stand by everything I said in the book," he said.

Goals: Kewell (7) 1-0; Viduka (59) 2-1; Deane (78) 2-1; Scowcroft (89) 2-2.

Leeds United (4-4-2): Martyn 4; Mills 7, Ferdinand 5, Matteo 4, Harte 5; Kelly 6, Johnson 6 (Bakke 5, 18), Batty 6, Kewell 7; Fowler 4, Viduka 7. Substitutes not used: Robinson (gk) Wilcox, Duberry.

Leicester City (4-4-2): Walker 6; Sinclair 5, Elliott 4, Marshall 5, Davidson 6; Savage 5, Oakes 5, Izzet 5, Impey 4 (Akinbiyi 6, 70); Scowcroft 6, Deane 7. Substitutes not used: Flowers (gk) Jones, Benjamin, Stewart.

Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville) 6.

Bookings: Leeds: Bakke. Leicester: Savage, Elliott.

Man of match: Deane.

Attendance: 38,377.