Premiership leaders Leeds United set a new club record of 10 successive victories as they crushed Lokomotiv Moscow 4-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Cup second round tie at Elland Road last night.
Two goals by Lee Bowyer and further efforts by Alan Smith and Harry Kewell virtually assured David O'Leary's young side of a place in the third round despite a superb free-kick reply by Dimitri Loskov for the Russians.
Bowyer's first came close to the half-hour when Jonathon Woodgate headed a free-kick into his path and the gutsy midfielder's deflected effort flew into the net.
England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn was almost caught in the 37th minute when Lokomotiv's Alexei Arifullin unleashed a ferocious shot from 35 metres which shaved the crossbar.
But Leeds struck again just before the interval when Bowyer grabbed his fourth goal of the competition. Michael Bridges twisted and played in the cross and Bowyer dived to glance home a fine header.
Thunderboots Loskov twice drew superb stops out of Martyn as the Muscovites started the second period like a train.
But once again Leeds showed the greater proficiency in front of goal and it was 3-0 after 56 minutes.
Lokomotiv goalkeeper Ruslan Nigmatullin was unable to deal with the ball as it bounced inside the area and Smith beat him with an acrobatic overhead effort, though he appeared to foul a Lokomotiv defender as he did so.
Leeds relaxed temporarily and the two-footed Loskov made them pay with a deft free-kick over the defensive wall with nine minutes left.
That merely prompted Leeds to step up a gear again and Australian Kewell crashed in the fourth two minutes later.
LEEDS: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate, Radebe, Harte, Bowyer, Batty, McPhail, Kewell, Smith, Bridges (Huckerby 62). Subs Not Used: Haaland, Hopkin, Mills, Bakke, Jones, Robinson. Booked: Radebe. Goals: Bowyer 27, 45, Smith 56, Kewell 83.
LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW: Nigamtoulline, Arifdoline, Chugainov, Pashinin (Hovhannisyan 61), Lavrik, Smertin, Loskov, Kharlachev, Drozdov, Sarkisian (Maminov 76), Dznashia (Boulykin 39). Subs Not Used: Solomatin, Semenenko, Neretine, Poliakov. Booked: Drozdov. Goal: Loskov 81.
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
