Leeds United 3; Manchester United 4: Manchester United were allowed back to the top of the Premiership for three hours on Saturday, maybe for one last look around. By this evening they will be two points off the lead if Arsenal win at Charlton and will still have played a game more.
In the short term, then, the victory over Leeds United was less important for the tantalising glimpse it gave the champions of a fourth successive title, now a receding prospect, than the fillip it will have given Alex Ferguson's team for tomorrow's opening leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Deportivo La Coruna.
If Javier Irureta, the Deportivo coach, needed further evidence of how his attack can resume the steady infiltration of Ferguson's defence which last autumn brought them victories by 2-1 in Coruna and 3-2 at Old Trafford, then another Keane, Robbie of Leeds, provided it.
Having come on for the last 25 minutes, with his team losing 4-2, Keane set up a third goal and at the end Ian Harte came close to bringing the scores level.
Yet, while the strength of Leeds's recovery gave the match a thrilling conclusion, Ferguson still felt safe in taking off first Giggs and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, scorer of two of his team's goals.
On Saturday, the Leeds defence, admittedly lacking Rio Ferdinand, had the resilience of a bead curtain. Only Jonathan Woodgate performed to a standard acceptable at this level.
As a possible option at right-back in England's World Cup squad, Danny Mills is clearly no Mick Mills and by the time Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Mikael Silvestre had finished with him he was displaying all the qualifications for the part of Mrs Mills. Yet the paucity of support he had from Alan Smith, a central striker lost wide on the right, was equally responsible for the free ride Manchester United were given on their left flank.
This was evident as early as the ninth minute when one of Roy Keane's perceptive long passes launched Silvestre at Mills, who fatefully stood off the full-back, allowing him to check then move inside before providing the low centre which Scholes directed firmly past Nigel Martyn.
Leeds lost Harry Kewell, already limping after a challenge by Nicky Butt, soon afterwards but this appeared to bring them relief in the shape of Lee Bowyer, whose sudden dash at Blanc and Gary Neville undid both, leaving Mark Viduka to equalise.
In the Manchester United goal Fabien Barthez was beginning to dither while in midfield David Batty and Seth Johnson were starting to establish parity with Keane and Butt. Then Solskjaer scored twice in three minutes and Leeds were as good as done for. After Giggs had Mills and Woodgate running into one another as he gathered Barthez's long clearance Scholes's shot rebounded from Martyn's chest and Solskjaer's predatory instincts did the rest.
Then Scholes released Silvestre to repeat his earlier demolition of Mills. Another low centre and this time Solskjaer's shot went in off Dominic Matteo. Early in the second half Giggs slid in Manchester United's fourth after David Beckham had run three-quarters of the length of the pitch to provide the cross.
Harte's unerring free-kick just past the hour offered Leeds a glimmer of hope which became stronger when Bowyer headed in a mishit shot from Robbie Fowler after Keane's inspired pass from the byline.
Had another free-kick from Harte, this one a chip which sent Barthez the wrong way, been a fraction straighter Manchester United would have found themselves on the wrong end of the sort of comeback they have made their own speciality. In the event O'Leary was left to reflect that: "I thought we scored good goals and they scored bad goals." Good or bad, however, they all count and on Saturday the count was against Leeds.
LEEDS UNITED: Martyn, Mills, Matteo, Woodgate, Harte, Smith, Johnson (Keane 65), Batty (Bakke 60), Kewell (Bowyer 12), Fowler, Viduka.Subs Not Used: Robinson, Kelly. Booked: Mills. Goals: Viduka 20, Harte 62, Bowyer 80.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Barthez, Gary Neville, Blanc, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham, Keane, Butt, Giggs (Forlan 74), Scholes, Solskjaer (Phil Neville 86). Subs Not Used: Carroll, Irwin, van Nistelrooy. Booked: Scholes, Beckham. Goals: Scholes 9, Solskjaer 37, 39, Giggs 55.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
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