Hapoel Tel-Aviv...1 Leeds United...4 Leeds win 5-1 on aggregateFor "thug", read smug. Alan Smith, with a public condemnation by bitter opponents after the first leg still ringing in his ears, left Florence last night with a match ball, a quartet of poacher's goals and a thumbs up to the directors' box. Revenge was sweet.
Hapoel Tel Aviv should have known better than to rile the England forward, even irked as they were by what they had seen of his spiky side at Elland Road a fortnight ago. As it was, a depleted Leeds ended up sauntering past the dithering Israelis, even if it was their striker's va-va-voom which made the difference.
"I knew some of their players had been having a go at me so I would have to keep a clear head," said Smith, who had sought a meeting with his chairman Peter Ridsdale this week to discuss the criticism emanating from Tel Aviv. "I wanted to make sure that, if something did happen out there, I'd have the club's backing. It put my mind at ease."
That he did to splendid effect. His dynamism roused Leeds from an inexcusably lethargic opening that had left them one down after 68 seconds. The 22-year-old exchanged passes with Eirik Bakke on the half-hour to by-pass Rahamim Halis and then steered his low shot across and beyond Shavit Elimelech.
Ian Harte had hammered a 30-yard shot against the woodwork by the time Smith settled the tie after the interval. Lee Bowyer's innocuous pass induced panic between Yakov Hillel and Elimelech, and the marauding striker thrust his foot at the loose ball before watching his attempt - cruelly laced with tantalising back-spin - creep over the line before Halis could hack it clear.
Thereafter, any semblance of defensive organisation among the Israelis disintegrated. Harry Kewell wriggled beyond Halis to cross for Smith to head down and, though Elimelech clawed the attempt out, the rebound was unmissable from a yard.
The Australian repeated the dose eight minutes from time, with Smith nodding home his fourth. By the end, Hapoel were down to 10 men and Leeds's players were strutting around with confidence.
"A few games ago my second goal would have been cleared, so our luck's clearly changing," added Smith. "Once you've made your mark you have to do it week in, week out. That's what separates good and great players."
That much was needed after their dismal start, but once Bakke's trip on Salim Toama had been penalised and Josef Abukasis's thunderous 20-yard free-kick ripped beyond Paul Robinson, Hapoel's suspect underbelly was always likely to be exposed.
Omri Afek had his shot touched on to the bar but the frantic late rally came only once Abukasis, booked for handbags with Jason Wilcox, had been sent off for dissent. Given the swaths of empty seats, he should have known better than to mouth off at the referee in the eerie silence, but then tactful criticism clearly is not Hapoel's thing.
HAPOEL TEL-AVIV: Elimelech, Halis, Gershon, Domb, Hillel, Abuksis, Halmai, Toema, Afek (Luz 46), Knafo (Balili 62), Clescenko (Udi 46). Subs Not Used: Salem, Saban, Halfon, Abutbul. Sent Off: Abuksis (79). Booked: Abuksis. Goals: Abuksis 2.
LEEDS UNITED: Robinson, Kelly (Richardson 66), Radebe (Kilgallon 61), Duberry, Harte, Barmby, Bakke (McPhail 55), Bowyer, Wilcox, Kewell, Smith. Subs Not Used: Martyn, Bridges, Burns, McMaster. Booked: Barmby, Wilcox. Goals: Smith 30, 54, 62, 83.
Referee: F Stuchlik (Austria).
