Smith hits four in Leeds romp

Hapoel Tel Aviv 1 Leeds United 4 Leeds win 5-1 on aggregate

Alan Smith, revelling in the role of arch predator, scored all four goals as Leeds United ultimately progressed with ease into the last 32 of the Uefa Cup last night. Smith's spree enabled Terry Venables' side to recover from a fraught start to the second leg of their second-round tie here in neutral Italy.

Just a minute had elapsed when Josef Abukasis swerved in a free-kick to put Hapoel Tel Aviv level on aggregate. The match ended sourly for Abukasis, however, as he was sent off for two yellow card offences.

Smith has a reputation for being easily provoked but he said: "I knew their players had been having a go at me, I went and saw the chairman because if something did happen then I wanted to know I would have their full backing. It put my mind at ease. I knew I had to keep a cool head and I did that – I responded in the right way."

By the the time Abukasis, one of Smith's detractors, had been sent off, Leeds were emphatically in control, with confidence soaring after scoring four goals for the second game running. Smith, suspended from the 4-3 Premiership victory at West Ham on Sunday, replaced Mark Viduka who was, like Danny Mills, missing for personal reasons. With Teddy Lucic cup-tied and Jonathan Woodgate injured, Michael Duberry made a rare start in the heart of Leeds' defence.

Duberry did, in fact, finish as his team's third captain. Lucas Radebe, who gave way to a groin strain, handed the black armband to Gary Kelly, who in turn passed it on to Duberry when he went off.

The tie had not captured the imagination of the local footballing fraternity, even though their weekly fix comes now from the Serie C football offered by Florentia Viola, the club formed from the wreckage of the once formidable Fiorentina.

There was, though, a healthy gathering of Leeds fans. Clad in their replica shirts, they had presented an incongruous sight earlier in the day as they jostled for space on the crowded Ponte Vecchio with hordes of Japanese tourists before heading for the bars. The shock of Abukasis's free-kick must have had a sudden sobering effect. Leeds did not seriously threaten until Smith opened his account on the half-hour, shooting in off the far post after Rahamim Halis had failed to cut out Eirik Bakke's pass.

That mistake was on a par with the many flaws in Ian Harte's game that constantly threatened to hand the initiative back to the Israelis. Which was why Leeds were so grateful for Smith, who was at his tenacious best. His second goal after 53 minutes was extraordinary. Lee Bowyer's pass should have been the property of either Yakov Hillel or the goalkeeper Shavit Elimelech but, while they dithered, Smith stuck out a long leg to score from an acute angle. The ball crossed the line before Halis hacked it out.

Smith completed the first senior hat-trick of his career when Harry Kewell's penetrating cross from the left wing found him unmarked for a downward header, which Elimelech could only parry. The England forward side-footed in the rebound.

It was ironic that one of Smith's detractors, Abukasis, was then sent off 11 minutes from time for a second bookable offence, this one dissent. With Leeds a man to the good, Kewell again played the role of provider for Smith's fourth goal, The Australian crossed from the left for Smith, once more unmarked, to score with a header.

Hapoel Tel Aviv (4-4-2): Elimelech; Halis, Domb, Gerson, Hillel; Afek, Abukasis, Halmai, Toama; Knafo (Balali, 61), Clescenco (Udi, h-t). Substitutes not used: Salem (gk), Luz, Saban, Halfon, Abutbul.

Leeds United (4-4-2): Robinson; Kelly (Richardson, 65), Duberry, Radebe (Kilgallon, 60), Harte; Barmby, Bowyer, Bakke (McPhail, 53), Wilcox; Smith, Kewell. Substitutes not used: Martyn (gk), Bridges, Burns, McMaster.

Referee: C Stuchlic (Austria).