MINUTE-BY-MINUTE REPORT

A late Nick Barmby goal saved Leeds from one of the most embarrassing results in their history against Metalurg Zaporizhia.

Harry Kewell got to the by-line on the left for the first time in the game and although Alan Smith failed to direct his header from the cross on target, Barmby popped up at the far post to tap the ball home.

The Leeds players celebrated as they dodged a UEFA Cup banana skin, but scraping a draw against a team fifth from the bottom of the Ukrainian league is certainly not something to be pleased about.

Terry Venables dropped Mark Viduka to the bench, choosing to play Smith on his own in attack and quite simply, it didn't work. Leeds fans may get frustrated with the big Australian, yet he seems to hold things together up front and allows others to play to their advantages. As with most games this season, Smith was excellent, but he was regularly too isolated.

Things took a downward turn for the the Premiership side on 24 minutes when they gave Brazilian winger Fabio Vasconcelos far too much time and space to curl a stunning 25-yard shot onto the angle of bar and post.

Irakli Modebadze was the first to react to the rebound, looping a header over the stranded Paul Robinson to spark wild scenes on the bench and the pitch.

That forced Leeds to show some urgency and only a spectacular save from Andriy Gluschenko prevented Dominic Matteo levelling. Nick Barmby's corner found it's way to the Scottish international, who fired in a ferocious 10-yard volley that the goalkeeper did wonderfully to hang on to.

But the longer the game went on, the most frustrated the Whites got increasingly frustrated, as evidenced by the ugle melee after Gary Kelly and Lee Bowyer became entangled with Tomislav Visevic on the touchline. 15 players became involved, but all escaped cards simply because referee Muhittin Bosat could not establish who was to blame.

Despite Leeds now controlling the game, albeit making little headway, they suffered another scare in the 73rd minute when Armen Akopian curled a 25-yard free-kick onto the outside of Robinson's right-hand post.

Then the visitors grabbed the goal they needed and left Metalurg looking for two more, something that was never going to happen. Any chances the home side had disappeared when Uros Milosavljevic was sent off with 10 minutes remaining for a second bookable offence.

It was enough for Leeds to progess, but they must improve dramatically when they come up against a more accomplished side in the next round.

Metalurg Zaporizhzhya: Glushchenko, Valuta, Dodic, Raty, Visevic, Vasconcelos, Klyuchyk, Milosavijevic, Akopyan, Lapko, Modebadze.
Subs Not Used: Zolna, Savinov, Baston, Toledo, Blanchim Hansen, Ivashchenko, Zayats.
Sent Off: Milosavijevic (80).
Booked: Milosavijevic, Modebadze.

Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Mills, Matteo (Duberry 90), Harte, Bakke, McPhail, Barmby, Bowyer, Smith, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Martyn, Viduka, Okon, Burns, McMaster, Dacourt.

Agg (1-2)
Att: 7,000
Ref: M Bosat (Turkey).