Late strike denies Leeds

David O'Leary's assertion that Leeds should not be bracketed among the title contenders would appear to be the sentiment of a wise man after watching his side become the latest victims of football's great party-poopers.

Watched by a crowd of 39,816, their biggest of the season, Leeds were found guilty of failing to turn superiority into goals and were forced to pay the price when the Wimbledon substitute Carl Cort snatched an unlikely point with an 83rd-minute strike against the run of play.

How the Crazy Gang managed it will remain a mystery to Leeds as their opportunity to move within four points of the leaders Aston Villa was thrown away.

O'Leary was burdened by having 13 players unavailable through injury and suspension, but deputies such as Gunnar Halle, Alfie Haaland and Bruno Ribeiro are reliable replacements and it was Leeds who dominated the early exchanges, with Harry Kewell and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink both trying their luck with left-footed efforts from the edge of the area.

However, Leeds were indebted to their goalkeeper Nigel Martyn for preventing a bizarre own-goal by David Wetherall in the 12th minute. Attempting to cut out Kenny Cunningham's right-wing cross, Wetherall succeeded only in heading the ball towards his own net and was fortunate that Martyn was alert to the danger with a fingertip save.

With four consecutive home victories before last night's draw, Leeds are beginning to turn Elland Road into something of a fortress, and their monopoly of possession was finally rewarded by Ribeiro's classy strike in the 26th minute.

Hasselbaink teased Cunningham on the left before sliding a deft pass between the full back and Chris Perry to find Ribeiro unmarked inside the penalty area. As Wimbledon appealed in vain for offside, the Portuguese midfielder turned neatly before dispatching an angled, left-foot drive beyond Neil Sullivan.

With Hasselbaink irrepressible, Leeds continued to carve out the better openings. In one flowing move Haaland released Kewell, whose back-heel bisected the visiting defence. However, David Hopkin decided on power rather than precision and his shot flew too close to Sullivan.

It is no secret, though, that Wimbledon are a resilient bunch. After barely threatening in the first half, the Londoners equalised four minutes before half-time with Robbie Earle's fifth league goal of the season. There appeared to be no real danger when he picked up the ball five yards from the Leeds penalty area, under the scrutiny of Haaland and Wetherall. But Earle shrugged off their challenges and his low shot appeared to be seen late by Martyn before it crept into the net off the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

An injury to Alan Kimble, which eventually forced the Wimbledon player's withdrawal, disrupted the rhythm of play with the second half in its infancy. Wimbledon, buoyed by seven victories in their previous 10 matches, were strangely subdued, with Michael Hughes inexplicably shunted out to the left flank.

Leeds were proving no great shakes themselves but deserved the lead they achieved through Hopkin's 57th-minute strike. Until his recent visit to Coventry, the Scot had gone 15 months without a goal but his close-range effort last night, after Kewell's 20-yard drive had been parried by Sullivan, was his second in four matches.

Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear later reflected on a stunning first half to the season. The South London side headed back to the capital on the back of a December which has seen them take 13 points from a possible 18.

Kinnear said: "I don't really want this month to end because it has gone so well for us. When I looked a the fixtures I thought it was going to be hell, but we've beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Coventry and taken this point at Leeds."

David O'Leary, meanwhile, admitted it was sloppy defending which cost his side a fifth successive victory. This was despite the United boss being without three of his first choice centre backs, but he admitted: "It was not inexperience that cost us - it's just that we were poor at the back.

"When we were 2-1 up I didn't feel safe. I felt we needed an extra goal and so it proved."

Leeds: Martyn, Halle, Woodgate, Wetherall, Harte, Haaland, Hopkin, Bowyer, Ribeiro (McPhail 81), Hasselbaink, Kewell. Subs Not Used: Wijnhard, Granville, Smith, Robinson. Goals: Ribeiro 26, Hopkin 57.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Kimble (Kennedy 62), Cunningham, Perry, Thatcher, Ardley, Earle, Euell, Hughes, Leaburn (Cort 73), Gayle. Subs Not Used: Ekoku, Roberts, Bakke. Booked: Kimble, Euell. Goals: Earle 41, Cort 83.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).