Leeds take apart scrappy Boro

Smith celebrates his first goal.

Middlesbrough 1-2 Leeds
real 14k BBC Five Live's Dave Woods reports from the Riverside Stadium

Leeds showed no signs of tiredness from their excursions in Europe during the week as early goals by Lee Bowyer and Alan Smith finished off a Boro side clearly lacking the creativity of Alen Boksic, out with a groin strain.

Despite the absence of their Croatian star who scored two goals on his Premiership debut last week, Middlesbrough put in a spirited performance, but in the end could only produce a consolation goal through Phil Stamp.

David O'Leary's young guns on the other hand, showed creativity and energy that could take them all the way this season and striker Smith showed he is still in the running as leading goalscorer.

The combination of Bridges, Viduka and Smith up-front provided Leeds with that devastating touch that could see them as title contenders.

Lacklustre

Though looking lacklustre at first, Boro could have scored in the first minute as former Leeds player Brian Deane latched onto Karembeu's early ball back into the box, beating the offside trap but shooting wide.

After that, it was all Leeds for the rest of the half, as the Premiership contenders oozed class and vitality.

We deserved to win the game, but we made hard work of it in the end

  David O'Leary, Leeds Manager

In the sixth minute, United began a wave of attack with Ian Harte planting the ball forward to Michael Bridges.

Bridges, integral in all Leeds' dangerous moves, provided a neat pass to Lee Bowyer who drove a 20-yard dive into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Six minutes later, Leeds were on the offensive again, this time through Olivier Dacourt.

The Frenchman did all the running before his shot from outside the box took a deflection off Alan Smith and landed again in the back of the net.

With less than a third of the way through the first half and Brian Robson's side were down two goals with no sign of coming back.

Leeds could have scored again when another precise pass form Bridges left Bowyer with a chance, only for the midfrielder to shoot wide.

Departure

Keith O'Neill's departure from the field after a collision with Michael Duberry before half time enabled Boro's other new signing Joseph Desire Job to come on and breath a little life into Robson's beleaguered side.

Things got better into the second half, Robson realised it was not going to be Ricard's afternoon and replaced the Columbian with Noel Whelan in the 65th minute.

The game started to become scrappy as Middleborough struggled to get possesion, but Leeds still held the upper hand.

You can't play poorly like we did in the the first half and expect to win football matches

  Viv Anderson, Middlesborough assistant manager

However, Boro had their chances with a multiple goal-mouth scramble in the 68th minute when Job and Ince were repeatedly blocked off the line, by Radebe, who came on for Bakke in the first half, and some acrobatic saving from Leeds keeper Nigel Martyn.

Leeds again came close as Mark Viduka desperate to score his first Premiership goal threw himself goalwards several times, but to no avail.

Eventually, Boro, looking revitalised, scored a consolation goal when Phil Stamp got on the end of Noel Whelan's free kick and saw his shot deflected off a defender into the back of the net.

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Teams:

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Vickers, Pallister, Karembeu, Ince, Deane, O'Neill, Okon, Ricard, Cooper.
Subs: Job, Summerbell, Stamp, Crossley, Whelan.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Dacourt, Woodgate, Bridges, Viduka, Bowyer, Smith, Bakke, Duberry.
Subs: Radebe, Huckerby, Robinson, Mills, Jones.

Referee: G Barber (Tring)