Manchester United might be basking in the afterglow of their Champions League exploits, and no wonder, but Elland Road, above all other grounds, was never going to be the place yesterday to strut, to preen and to accept congratulations.
Four days on from their despatching of Juventus in Turin they were weary of limb and reluctant of mind, and ultimately they were grateful to take shelter from a draw which moved them to within a point of the new Premiership leaders Arsenal, with a game in hand, and preserved a 26-match unbeaten record.
United were flustered by an energetic first-half display by Leeds which produced incessant pressure and a goal for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. But Leeds, themselves feeling the effects of a strenuous season, could not remotely maintain that pace and United largely governed a sedate second half and Andy Cole's eventual equaliser on 56 minutes was just about deserved.
No matter how much Alex Ferguson re-emphasised the importance of winning the Premiership, seasons have natural peaks and troughs. For United, the highest peak so far in a Himalayan season was Wednesday night's victory at Stadio delle Alpi, and a dip of some magnitude was almost inevitable; for Leeds, the biorhythms are programmed to rise in unison for the seasonal arrival of their adversaries from west of the Pennines, and yesterday's point makes their presence in next season's UEFA Cup competition all but certain.
This is an intense rivalry, if a shade overplayed. Leeds's most intransigent supporters met Manchester United's progress to the final in Barcelona with loathing - chants of "scum" do not refer to something remaining after the bath-water has been drained.
Leeds were not short of their own heroes yesterday. Jonathon Woodgate, the essence of composure until he sustained a knee injury which has meant his withdrawal from England's trip to Hungary, the indefatigable Lee Bowyer and Harry Kewell, wonderfully elusive, were outstanding. Leeds's tigerish running, which forced Mancunian legs into responses they did not relish, looked a thing of extreme cruelty.
For Manchester United it was the shortcomings that were most apparent: David Beckham's mind still seemed to be on Turin, or maybe Brooklyn; Roy Keane for once looked as if he yearned to have spent Sunday morning running a church creche; and Dwight Yorke's lack of sharpness was emphasised when, five seconds from time, he collected a one-two from Teddy Sheringham but blazed an inviting opportunity wide.
Manchester United conjured up an excellent chance to go ahead after 15 minutes - Nigel Martyn lying on the ground as he blocked from David May and Cole in turn - but the most menacing sight was that of Ferguson glowering from the touchline in a manner which suggested that, fatigue or not, they might be re-employed as turnstile attendants by the morning.
While Ferguson gesticulated, Leeds went ahead. Hasselbaink had not trained all week because of hamstring trouble and he required painkillers to lead the Leeds attack. But if there were to be no characteristic surges of pace from Leeds's leading scorer, his cunning remained as, artfully, he delaying his toe-poke long enough to defeat Peter Schmeichel and squeezed the ball in off the near post from an acute angle.
The goal had its origins in Nicky Butt's misplaced pass and a dashing run by Kewell from the centre circle. That encapsulated a first half in which Kewell also escaped twice down the left, only for Bowyer first to head and then to shoot wide. Alan Smith then dragged wide after Kewell had swerved between two defenders, and Kewell's diving header flew narrowly wide.
That Manchester United would claim more second-half possession was inevitable. They reduced the game to walking pace whenever possible and immediately benefited. Butt's header met Keane's cross from beyond the far post and Martyn's palm-aside fell to Cole, who equalised from six yards.
When Phil Neville replaced Denis Irwin with 18 minutes left, United - who lost Jaap Stam in the pre-match warm-up - had only Gary Neville remaining from the back four which lined up in Turin.
Leeds had a flurry of chances in the last quarter of an hour. A fitter Hasselbaink might well have brought them victory and Smith shot straight at Schmeichel after catching Wes Brown in possession. Only his pleas to continue prevented Hasselbaink from being substituted much earlier than three minutes from time.
For Leeds, one senses that even a Champions League final in Barcelona would not be as important as this.
Leeds: Martyn, Jones, Woodgate (Wetherall 59), Radebe, Harte, Bowyer, Batty, McPhail, Kewell, Hasselbaink (Wijnhard 86), Smith. Subs Not Used: Ribeiro, Halle, Robinson. Booked: Hasselbaink. Goals: Hasselbaink 32.
Man Utd: Schmeichel, G Neville, May, Brown, Irwin (P Neville 71), Beckham (Scholes 84), Butt, Keane, Blomqvist (Sheringham 77), Yorke, Cole. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Curtis. Booked: May, Butt, Keane. Goals: Cole 56.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury).
