Fergie: We proved our credentials
O'Leary frustrated by errors
Minute-by-minute analysis
Video Reaction: Ferguson
Video Reaction: Keane

Tim Hobbs reporting

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's decisive double provided the latest chapter in the championship race and surely closed the book on Leeds' Champions League hopes.

The Norway striker pounced twice in as many minutes to ultimately settle a seven-goal thriller that neither side could afford to lose.

Solskjaer's double was sandwiched between strikes from Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs as Leeds' - and Danny Mills' in particular - defensive frailties left them facing an uphill struggle and a disappointing end to the season.

Mark Viduka, Ian Harte and Lee Bowyer did manage to pick holes the champions' defence to leave Sir Alex Ferguson sweating in the Yorkshire sun, but United held firm and hit the top of the table again, at least until Liverpool and Arsenal return to battle.

United came to Elland Road with just one Premiership defeat against their cross-Pennine rivals and within eight minutes suggested little would change, whatever was being said across Yorkshire in the build-up.

Mills had began the week with a muted performance for England against Italy and was at fault for the vital first goal, as he was caught out of position in the box and produced a ridiculous covering lunge that Mikael Silvestre easily slipped round before squaring for Scholes to drill home from eight yards.

Leeds, who attacked with intelligence and inspiration throughout, came hurtling back and Viduka crossed for Robbie Fowler to flash a vollety high over before the Aussie did level with a goal that owed eveyrthing to the direct running of replacement Bowyer.

Back from a six-match ban and on for the crocked Harry Kewell, the much-maligned midfielder ran right at Laurent Blanc before slipping a clever reverse ball inside Gary Neville, for Viduka to steady himself and steer a diagonal finish across Fabien Barthez and in.

Viduka came within a minute of giving Leeds victory at Old Trafford earlier in the season and the man who saved United that day was to have the ultimate say today. Solskjaer gets enough help from his team-mates to find the target, but when the opposing defence all but tee him up, it is no wonder he took his tally to 22 and a best-ever United return.

Mills again was at fault, colliding with Jonathon Woodgate when the England reject clearly had a high ball covered and allowing Scholes to rifle in a low drive that Nigel Martyn pushed poorly into the path of the lurking Norwegian, who lashed in for a 2-1 lead.

Within another 140 seconds Solskjaer's tally and the lead went up to two, Mills again caught hopelessly out of position as Silvestere crossed for Scholes and although Leeds blocked the first effort, the ball fell again for the Norwegian to notch another via a deflection.

Until then Leeds, with Bowyer providing the thrust Kewell seems happy just to threaten, and Viduka and Fowler full of neat touches, had been the better side, but were perhaps guilty of over-elaboration - not least when Alan Smith spurned at least three chances to finish off a Viduka flick.

It left Elland Road stunned at the break and after Martyn had superbly denied Scholes and Ronnie Johnsen, United appeared to be home and dry and heading back down the M62 with the gauntlet thrown down to their two rivals.

This time the full-back fallibility came from Harte, whose lack of pace was exposed by Beckham's 60-yard run, although the central defenders did just as little to stop Giggs stroking home the low centre.

But desperate to salvage their pride, if not a point, the home side regrouped and rattled their guests in the closing stages.

Sky Sports man of the match Roy Keane gave away a free-kick some 30 yards from goal and must have feared the worst as Republic of Ireland team-mate Harte showed his talent at the other end of the pitch by curling a characteristic effort past a statuesque Barthez.

Sub Robbie Keane then headed badly wide and Viduka lobbed onto the top of the net before the Leeds pressure finally told with a third, the former breaking down the right and cutting back for Fowler, whose blushes were spared by Bowyer arriving to head home his badly-sliced stab.

Then came the finale, with United happy to keep possession and Leeds hassling and harrying them into several mistakes. But another Harte free-kick flew inches the other side of the upright while an overhead kick from Smith suffered the same fate.

The close-calls and subsequent what-might-have-beens summed up Leeds season, yet by the same token, the 4-3 rollercoaster ride and the final result may yet prove to be a fairer reflection on this season's champions.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Roy Keane (Manchester United)
A cool head in the cauldron of central midfield. More displays like this and the United skipper can expect more than the Sky Sports champagne to sip come the end of the season.

Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Matteo, Woodgate, Harte, Smith, Johnson (Keane 65), Batty (Bakke 60), Kewell (Bowyer 12), Fowler, Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Robinson, Kelly.
Booked: Mills.
 
Man Utd: 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.

Att: 40,058
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)

MINUTE-BY-MINUTE UPDATES

Full-time: 3-4 Red Devils hold on to return to the top
92 mins: Barthez comes to grab the ball with Bowyer charging through
91 mins: OOH! Smith's overhead kick goes only a foot wide
91 mins: BOOKING! Beckham into book for kicking the ball away
90 mins: Three minutes added time for Leeds to find a leveller
90 mins: Corner was too long and Bakke put his cross behind for goal kick
89 mins: Gary Neville heads Mills' cross behind for a corner
88 mins: Beckham curls a free-kick over the crossbar
86 mins: SUB - Phil Neville on for Solskjaer
85 mins: OOH! Harte's free-kick fools Barthez but curls inches the wrong side of the post
84 mins: OOH! Forlan gets free header, but puts it weakly at Martyn
82 mins: Leeds pressing forward looking for the equaliser
80 mins: GOAL! 3-4 BOWYER nods Keane's shot into empty net
79 mins: Time running out for Leeds
76 mins: Bowyer's shot drifts harmlessly wide of Barthez's goal
74 mins: SUB - Forlan on for Giggs
72 mins: Viduka's effort falls on the top of the net
71 mins: BOOKING! Retribution for Scholes as he fouls Mills
70 mins: OOH! Robbie Keane puts free header wide from eight yards
68 mins: Giggs shot blocked by Woodgate
66 mins: BOOKING! Mills first into book for accidentally kicking Scholes in the head
64 mins: SUB - Robbie Keane on for Seth Johnson
63 mins: Keane has a shot, but it loops harmlessly wide
61 mins: GOAL! 2-4 HARTE curls in great free-kick to keep Leeds in with a chance
60 mins: Cynical foul by Keane, yet referee still leaves book in his pocket
59 mins: SUB - Bakke on for Batty
58 mins: Viduka slides the ball into the corner, but is ruled offside
57 mins: SAVE! Wonderful stop by Martyn from Johnson's close-range header
55 mins: GOAL! 1-4 GIGGS easily slots home after long Beckham run
54 mins: Great turn by Bowyer, but an even better recovery tackle by Keane
52 mins: OOH! Scholes ferocious cross-shot well-saved by Martyn
49 mins: Beckham's in acres of space in the middle, but Giggs doesn't look up
48 mins: Now Giggs runs 70 yards, but Woodgate guides him out of play
47 mins: Mills runs the length of the pitch, then mishits his cross
46 mins: Leeds kick-off, looking to find a way back from Solskjaer's quick-fire double

Half-time: 1-3 - Fergie's men in control
47 mins:  Smith gets ball in great position, but is tackled trying to walk the ball into the net
44 mins: Viduka's header too easy for Barthez
43 mins: Smith's shot deflected behind for a corner
42 mins: Solskjaer's effort gets another shot deflected, but it falls to Martyn this time
38 mins: GOAL! 1-3 SOLSKJAER gets second as deflected shot wrong-foots Martyn
37 mins: GOAL! 1-2 SOLSKJAER taps home after Martyn spills Scholes shot
35 mins: Keane and Smith having a great battle in the right, Keane wins this time
33 mins Fowler curls in shot, but it's easy for the keeper
32 mins: Mills gets cross in, but Scholes does enough to put him off
30 mins: Giggs skipped past Matteo, but can't get enough on the shot
29 mins: The game has finally slowed down after a frantic opening
27 mins: Keane charges through the middle, but Woodgate does superbly
26 mins: Harte tries to find Smith, but Blanc's there again
24 mins: Neville gets to by-line, but his cross is too long
21 mins: OOH! Silvestre heads wide from three yards. How did he miss?
20 mins: Fowler's fierce shot saved comfortably by Barthez
19 mins: GOAL! 1-1 VIDUKA slots home after brilliant Bowyer run
17 mins: OOH! Harte's wonderful volley only a yard wide
15 mins: Viduka gets to by-line and finds Fowler in middle, but shot is high and wide
13 mins: Harte's free-kick curls just over the bar. Barthez had it covered
12 mins: Bowyer straight into action and Blanc crunches him. Free-kick
11 mins: SUB - Bowyer on for the limping Kewell
8 mins: GOAL! 0-1 SCHOLES fires home from Silvestre's cross
5 mins: Blanc heads away Harte's curling free-kick
4 mins: OUCH! Kewell hurt after Butt trod on his foot
3 mins: Beckham curls a shot from 25 yards high over the bar
2 mins: Great cross by Harte, Fowler can't quite get his head on the ball
1 min: Quick start by Red Devils, with Silvestre getting down the line
0 mins: Manchester United get the game underway