Keane raises Leeds hopes

As examples of the art of deception, neither would have impressed the Magic Circle's membership committee. George Burley, in describing his team's losing performance as "outstanding" and "exceptional", sounded like a shopping channel host trying to sell the audience a Big Brother commemorative cruet set.

As for Leeds, winning three Premiership matches in-a-row for the first time this season has catapulted them to seventh in the table and within sight of a European place.

It may look as though David O'Leary's side are finally getting their £40 million sterling act together, but they have yet to pull off the trick of making the doubts disappear.

That Leeds went in at the break 2-0 ahead was thanks solely to the sort of Ipswich defensive errors which undid them at Birmingham in midweek. Mark Venus diverted Bowyer's cross into his own net on 28 minutes, then Jamie Clapham's failure to challenge Danny Mills ended with a ball into the box which Titus Bramble miskicked and Robbie Keane pounced for his fifth goal in six league games.

These errors, plus the team's failure to convert neat passing movements into more goals are the points which challenge Burley's enthusiastic assessment of his team's performance.

Venus atoned for his earlier error by firing in a 20-yard freekick to bring the score to 2-1, but then Mark Viduka was denied a third Leeds goal in the last minute, adjudged offside when he patently was not.

With an injury-hit squad, Burley now faces further personnel problems. Marcus Stewart will miss three games after being sent off for a rash challenge on Ian Harte, while Hermann Hreidarsson could face trouble for an off-the-ball incident in which he elbowed Mills.

As for Leeds, they too have various selection difficulties for Wednesday's visit to Everton. O'Leary will be relieved to have Harry Kewell back after calf trouble, hopefully in time for February 13th.

IPSWICH: Richard Wright, Croft (Reuser 79), Clapham, Venus, Hreidarsson (Brown 90), Bramble, Jermaine Wright, Holland, Scowcroft, Stewart, Armstrong (Naylor 66). Subs Not Used: Branagan, Abidallah. Sent Off: Stewart (74). Booked: Bramble. Goal: Venus 63.

LEEDS UNITED: Martyn, Harte, Mills, Radebe, Ferdinand, Matteo, Bowyer, Dacourt (Bakke 87), Batty, Viduka, Keane (Smith 87). Subs Not Used: Robinson, Wilcox, Burns. Booked: Batty, Radebe. Goals: Venus 28 og, Keane 41.

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).