Life is being breathed back into Leeds' resurgent Premiership challenge as quickly as the Ipswich bubble is bursting as the teams' contrasting fortunes were exposed at Portman Road.

However, for all of Leeds' considerable endeavour and first-half control, with Robbie Keane again showing his poacher's instincts, Ipswich only had themselves to blame for their latest defeat.

They handed the visitors a 2-0 lead on a virtual plate, with Mark Venus scoring an own goal and Keane being allowed to plunder his sixth strike since signing on loan from Inter Milan in December.

Even a second-half act of redemption by Venus, as Ipswich made a forceful attempt at snatching a point, was not enough.

But even after leading scorer Marcus Stewart had perhaps harshly sent off with 15 minutes left for a two-footed lunge on Ian Harte, Leeds were only just able to resist the determined efforts of the home side to clinch a point.

Referee Peter Jones was blamed by the home fans, but the net result was still two teams travelling in opposite directions in the Premiership table.

Despite an FA Cup defeat, Leeds have now secured three consecutive League wins for the first time this season and are up into the top half with a European place looming back into sight.

The break from European action has certainly given renewed life to their aching limbs, although they will again have to cope with both fronts as the Champions League resumes later this month.

Ipswich, meanwhile, have achieved much already this season, reaching the pinnacle of third place at one point, but the wheels are threatening to come off the Tractor Boys' challenge.

They have now lost four of their past six League games and the last eight days have also seen them knocked out of both cup competitions.

They certainly started brightly enough, with Nigel Martyn denying Stewart, who was dropping off intelligently, and saving Matt Holland's header from an unmarked position.

After a scrappy opening, the Leeds fightback soon began and Bowyer, who cannot have trained properly all week, was one of their main outlets although Olivier Dacourt was the dominant midfield force.

Keane fired a snap-shot wide, but there was still little warning for the opening goal as Bowyer curled in a low cross with his left foot that Venus and keeper Richard Wright should have had covered between them.

Even though Keane was threatening, there was no reason - beyond a complete breakdown in communication - for Venus to panic, but he still managed to deflect the ball past his own keeper at the near post.

Martyn, who continues to keep Paul Robinson out of the side, saved Leeds again as James Scowcroft's cross-shot was turned goalwards by Alun Armstrong only for the keeper's outstretched leg to deny him on the line.

However, if Leeds' defending was secure, Ipswich's was woeful and they were made to pay a second time just before the break.

Danny Mills' snappy one-two with Bowyer enabled the full-back to cut the ball back from the byline but Titus Bramble was in a perfect covering position only to completely miscue his attempted clearance.

Keane was on hand to pounce on the loose ball and, via a slight deflection off Wright, he found the back of the net.

Venus had an escape after the break, when Keane missed Matteo's cross only for the defender to this time guide the ball into Wright's relieved arms.

But Ipswich were now starting to show renewed signs of life and a persistent run by Bramble caused a measure of confusion, while Armstrong's shot was blocked and Holland also fired over the bar.

Then, on 63 minutes, after Lucas Radebe had climbed on Scowcroft, Venus completed the archetypal 'villain to potential hero' transformation as he fired a 25-yard free-kick into the far corner past Martyn.

Ipswich pressed forcefully for an equaliser but they were undermined with 15 minutes left as Stewart was sent off by referee Jones.

Stewart certainly arrived late with both feet for a tackle on Harte that sent the defender flying into the air, but the decision was probably still harsh on the striker - only the second Ipswich player to be sent off this season.

Substitute Alan Smith and Viduka somehow contrived not to score in injury-time when they had only Wright to beat as Smith inexplicably played his pass forwards before the Australian netted.

Even with 10 men, the late pressure otherwise all came from Ipswich.

Leeds still managed to hang on for victory though in a game which summed up the two sides' recent fortunes all too vividly.

Teams:

Ipswich Richard Wright, Croft (Reuser 79), Clapham, Venus, Hreidarsson (Brown 90), Bramble, Jermaine Wright, Holland, Scowcroft, Stewart, Armstrong (Naylor 66).

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Abidallah.

Sent Off: Stewart (74).

Booked: Bramble.

Goals: Venus 63.

Leeds Martyn, Harte, Mills, Radebe, Ferdinand, Matteo, Bowyer, Dacourt (Bakke 87), Batty, Viduka, Keane (Smith 87).

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Wilcox, Burns.

Booked: Batty, Radebe.

Goals: Venus 28 og, Keane 41.

Att: 22,015

Ref: P Jones (Loughborough).