Boro add to Leeds' woes

Leeds 2 Middlesbrough 3

The pressure continues to mount on chairman Peter Ridsdale and boss Terry Venables as this latest damning defeat edged Leeds closer towards an end-of-season relegation battle.

Venables conceded yesterday he was anxiously looking over his shoulder at the scrap for Premiership survival unfolding at the foot of the table, prompting fighting talk from the 60-year-old.

But Venables’ usually inspiring words are clearly falling on deaf ears these days as Middlesbrough won only their third league game of the season away from home, while also enjoying only their second victory at Elland Road in 20 visits stretching back 25 years.

At least Leeds showed some semblance of spirit, drive and tenacity, particularly in the opening 30 minutes and again in the last 15, qualities in short supply during last Sunday’s abject FA Cup sixth-round defeat at Sheffield United.

It is that loss which has again placed Venables’ future in the spotlight and, if he does not leave before the end of the season, he could well go in the summer when he sits down with Ridsdale who will exercise the review clause in the one-time England coach’s contract.

Venables, Ridsdale and Leeds were undone, though, by two majestic goals either side of half-time from Juninho and then Geremi, strikes which are likely to prompt a debate among Boro fans as to which was the more well crafted.

Leeds could perhaps count themselves unfortunate to be a goal behind at the break as it was Juninho’s stunning 25-yard strike which capped a first-half revival from the visitors.

An all-action start to the match, with no quarter given as the Leeds players looked to make amends for their Bramall Lane horror-show, resulted in Mark Viduka scoring his 10th goal of the season in the 24th minute.

Massimo Maccarone had volleyed a delightful flick from Juninho into the side-netting and former Middlesbrough midfielder Nick Barmby saw a save from Mark Schwarzer rebound off his knee and over the bar from an Alan Smith drive before Viduka capitalised on a double dose of hesitancy.

Barmby fed Viduka who then played a one-two with Eirik Bakke on the edge of the area and as the Australia international went for the return, George d Mark Schwarzer presumed the other would colleg the Leeds striker to steal in and tap home.

Boateng’s protests earned him a booking as the midfielder felt he had been bundled over by an advancing Viduka prior to the goal, the second caution of the game as Paul Okon had previously been shown the yellow card for his tackle from behind on Jonathan Greening.

A third booking followed in the 36th minute and it proved decisive for Lucas Radebe took away the legs of Maccarone as he sublimely collected a raking cross-field ball from Stuart Parnaby in his stride, only for it to be halted by the Leeds skipper.

Radebe was fortunate not to have been sent off as he was last man,here were few protests from the Boro players, in particular Maccarone who proceeded to beat Paul Robinson with ease from the spot for his seventh goal this campaign.

After Schwarzer had acrobatically touched wide a 20-yard screamer from Jason Wilcox in the first of three minutes of first-half injury-time, Juninho then magically went one better with the break looming.

Collecting a simple pass from Greening, the little Brazilian beat Robinson with a sweet left-footed strike from 25 yards for his second goal in three games following his return from a cruciate ligament injury which kept him on the sidelines for seven months.

Leeds, though, were almost on level terms within 35 seconds of the restart as Viduka found Smith with a backheel which teed up the Leeds striker for a dipping, left-footed shot, only for Schwarzer to superbly tip the ball over the bar.

Danny Mills’ pleas for a 53rd-minute penalty, following a challenge on the edge of the area from Boateng, went unfounded as replays showed the Dutchman won the ball.

But it was Boro who pressed forward and after Juninho missed a chance to seal the rare away triumph, Cameroon international Geremi did not as he sublimely lifted a 25-yard shot over a stranded Robinson.

It immediately prompted cries from the majority of 39,000 crowd inside Elland Road of “Ridsdale, Ridsdale, what’s the score?” and “Ridsdale, it’s time to go” as they took their frustration out on the Leeds chairman.

In looking for a lifeline, James Milner replaced Barmby in the 68th minute and the 17-year-old handed his team exactly that, albeit courtesy of Schwarzer again.

The Boro keeper bundled the young winger’s soft curling shot into the path of Viduka, who gratefully tapped home goal 11 of this campaign.

But it was not enough as Leeds suffered their sixth league defeat from their last eight matches, resulting in another chorus of boos at the final whistle.