Football: Belgrade buckle from Bowyer double

UEFA CUP Leeds United overcome early setback and uncharacteristic defensive mistakes to establish two-goal advantage: Partizan Belgrade 1 Leeds United 3

LEEDS RETURNED from the "neutral" Netherlands last night armed with an even better Uefa Cup victory than the 2-1 score line Don Revie's team earned against Partizan in Belgrade 32 years earlier. Lee Bowyer with two and Lucas Radebe struck potentially precious away goals after the Yugoslav champions went in front midway through the first half.

Bowyer is a regular marksman - the midfielder has now scored four times this season - yet Radebe's goals are collector's items. The captain's hooked shot, as he lay in the Partizan area, produced only his second goal in the six years since he arrived at Elland Road.

The South African thus redeemed himself for conceding a penalty shortly after Leeds equalised. Fortunately for him, Nigel Martyn also had some atoning to do after gifting Partizan their advantage, and saved brilliantly from the resultant spot kick.

The margin of Leeds' win was all the more impressive given that Partizan have gone 27 Yugoslav League matches without defeat - equalling Manchester United's Premiership run - and that they knocked Newcastle out of Europe a year ago. David Batty, who gave away the decisive penalty in Belgrade, had the satisfaction of being the Yorkshire club's outstanding performer.

If the occasion carried echoes of Leeds' European Cup play-off against VfB Stuttgart in Barcelona seven years ago, the Abe Lenstra Stadium proved more reminiscent of Rushden & Diamonds' ground than the Nou Camp. A negligible number of the host town's 28,000 inhabitants turned out, leaving 1,500 Leeds supporters and 100 Partizan partisans to trade verbal hostilities.

David O'Leary, having been unable to watch Partizan in the flesh, sent out a five-man midfield. Gary Kelly started for the first time in the O'Leary era, and might well have marked his return after a long injury absence by scoring twice at the start of a surprisingly open first half.

After only seven minutes, David Hopkin was brought down by Vuk Rasovic, but while colleagues appealed in vain to the referee, Kelly lashed the loose ball against the bar. Soon the Irishman was diving to meet a free- kick from his nephew, Ian Harte, only for his header to fly wide.

The Leeds manager's belief that the "home" team would be skillful as well as stubborn opponents was quickly vindicated. A foul by Danny Mills led to a free-kick near the corner flag. After Mateja Kezman flicked the ball on, Branko Savic headed over from almost beneath the bar.

Partizan took a 20-minute lead after Dorde Tomic eluded Mills to set up a shot for Kezman. Martyn inexplicably spilled the ball, whereupon Tomic slotted it home to prompt a chant of "Serbia, Serbia" from behind the goal.

Leeds were level within six minutes. Harte's corner was cleared only as far as the edge of the 18-yard area, where Bowyer volleyed it straight back beyond Nikola Damjanac.

The end-to-end character of the contest produced an opportunity for Partizan to regain the initiative in the 29th minute. Again the danger stemmed from Mills flank, Kezman receiving room to turn 12-yards out. Radebe tripped the striking prodigy, scorer of six goals in the Champions' League qualifying rounds, but Martyn swooped to his right to beat out Lasovic's well-placed penalty.

Radebe's attacking cameo came six minutes before half time. Harte's free- kick found the head of Jonathon Woodgate, and Radebe, despite having lost his balance, steered the ball in.The scorer seemed as surprised as he was delighted.

With eight minutes of a more subdued second half remaining, Bowyer set the seal on Leeds' success. His speculative diagonal shot found Damjanac flapping feebly at the ball, which crept in almost apologetically at the far post.

Partizan Belgrade (4-4-2): Damjanac; Savic, Stanojevic, Rasovic, Krstajic; Ivic (Stojakovic, 88), Trobok, Ilic, Tomic; Iliev (Pekovic, 70), Kezman. Substitutes not used: Duljaj, Gerasimovski, Vukovic, Miskovic, Pantic (gk).

Leeds United (4-5-1): Martyn; Mills, Woodgate, Radebe, Harte; Kelly, Hopkin, Batty, Bowyer, Kewell; Bridges (Smith, 70). Substitutes not used: Haaland, Huckerby, Bakke, Hiden, Hay, Robinson (gk).

Referee: H Fandel (Germany).