Football: Smithard seals cup for Leeds

Leeds United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Manchester United. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

(Leeds win 4-1 on aggregate)

MANCHESTER United, trailing 2-0 from the first leg, found a comeback beyond them at Elland Road last night as a well- organised Leeds won the FA Youth Cup for the first time before a crowd of more than 31,000.

Hailed as the most talented youngsters at Old Trafford since the Busby Babes, Manchester conceded an early goal to an example of individual brilliance and the destination of the trophy was never thereafter in doubt.

The test facing Manchester was as likely to involve character as technical flair but Monday's party-poopers had been prepared as soundly as they had for the first leg and the away side were allowed little room for fancy manoeuvres.

Leeds discovered no such handicaps when they went forward and they extended their aggregate lead to 3-0 in the 12th minute. Jamie Forrester, with his back to goal in a thinly populated penalty area, scored with a spectacular overhead kick after Noel Whelan had won the jump for Mark Tinkler's free-kick.

Forrester was afforded similar freedom eight minutes later and although Darren Whitmarsh narrowed the angle to deny the striker another goal the omens did not look promising for Manchester.

They did, however, restore a tenuous foothold when Paul Scholes converted a 29th-minute penalty but within a minute their defence was painfully pulled apart again. Whelan's height was once more a telling factor in setting up Matthew Smithard to drill an angled shot beyond Whitmarsh's reach and regain the three-goal advantage.

Leeds United: Pettinger; Couzens, Sharp, Tinkler, Daly, Bowman (Tobin, 74), Smithard, Ford, Whelan, Oliver (Byrne, 84), Forrester.

Manchester United: Whitmarsh; Neville, Riley, Casper, Neville, Gillespie, Scholes, Beckham, Irving, Savage, Thornley. Subtitutes not used: Murdoch, Rawlinson.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).