Venables retreats nursing his bruises

Middlesbrough 2 Leeds United

It was a good day for the returning hero at the Riverside. He enjoyed a rousing reception from the locals and then sat back and savoured a Premiership contest high in quality and incident. But so much for Pak Do Ik. It was not the best of days for Terry Venables.

Back on Teesside for the first time since successfully completing his six-month mission to save Middlesbrough from relegation the season before last, the Leeds manager saw his new team snatch a draw from the jaws of what would have been a vital morale-boosting victory.

A scrambled, 83rd-minute goal by Gareth Southgate kept Leeds on a run of five Premiership matches without a win. In truth, it was the most they deserved. On this evidence you would hardly put your house on Venables' team, although you can now buy one at the site of the former Ayresome Park, where Pak Do Ik scored the goal that gave North Korea their World Cup win against Italy 36 years ago.

The seven survivors of that famous victory were guests of honour yesterday and some of the challenges must have brought back painful memories of their bruising encounter with the Soviet Union at Ayresome in 1966. Alan Smith and Franck Queudrue were both sent off for committing two bookable offences and there were scuffles between the teams as they left the field at the final whistle.

The ill feeling continued afterwards, Venables directing his wrath towards referee Rob Styles. "The sending-off was an appalling decision," he said, referring to Smith's premature departure, which came after a challenge that floored Southgate with 14 minutes to go. "It cost us the game. I thought we were in control up to then." It certainly proved to be a pivotal point, although Leeds were fortunate to be 2-1 ahead, having twice scored against the run of play against an enterprising Middlesbrough side who dominated for an hour.

Leeds had yet to mount an attack of note when Mark Viduka put them ahead with a 10th-minute penalty, the Australian striker having been tripped on the turn by Ugo Ehiogu. It was a sweet strike by the native Melbournian, recalled to the Leeds starting line-up despite criticism about his state of fitness, but it was Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough men who proceeded to show the pedigree of rising Premiership heavyweights.

Undaunted by the setback, they continued to attack with pace and power and duly delivered a goal-scoring counter-punch. It came in the 25th minute after a fine prompting pass by Southgate. The Middlesbrough captain found Géremi unmarked on the right side of the Leeds penalty area and the midfielder drilled a low ball to his Cameroonian compatriot, Joseph-Desiré Job, who poked a first-time shot past Paul Robinson from six yards.

Boro might have been in front by the interval, but first Job and then Massimo Maccarone directed headers narrowly wide of Robinson's goal. Eleven minutes into the second half, though, Leeds struck on the break for a second time. Viduka was involved again, teeing up Harry Kewell on the left side of the Middlesbrough penalty area. The younger Australian's flashing drive was only parried by his compat- riot, Mark Schwarzer, and Lee Bowyer pounced before Queudrue, rifling a first-time shot into the net from six yards out.

This time the goal took the sting out of Middlesbrough's high-tempo play. Géremi did hit the bar with a curling free-kick, but Kewell and Jonathan Woodgate both forced first-class saves from Schwarzer at the other end. Then, however, with 14 minutes to go, Smith clattered fatefully into Southgate. Having been booked for an earlier foul on Job, the young England striker made his premature departure. It set temperatures rising on both sides and set the stage for a grand finale: Southgate stabbing in Géremi's right-wing corner, Queudrue seeing red for his second booking and tempers flaring as the players left the field.

They continued to flare afterwards too. "What happened today was outrageous," Venables said, fuming about what he saw as victimisation against Smith. "It's got to the stage where he can't go for a ball now." Smith, who turns 22 tomorrow, has certainly made a reputation for himself. Whether it will last as long as Pak Do Ik's remains to be seen.

Middlesbrough 2
Job 25, Southgate 83

Leeds United 2
Viduka pen 11, Bowyer 56

Half-time: 1-1 Attendance: 34,723