Leeds' dreadful disciplinary record this season continued as Dominic Matteo became the sixth Elland Road star to see red - but 10-man United managed to salvage a vital point at relegation-haunted Everton.

Matteo was dismissed for two yellow card offences in the space of 10 first-half minutes, compounding a defensive crisis which led to skipper Rio Ferdinand pulling out of the game just an hour before kick-off.

Despite the Scotland international's 38th-minute sending off, Leeds stretched their winless run to 10 matches and are now without a goal for more than six hours, but still moved up one place in the Premiership.

Frankly, it was a horrible match, a bad advert for the Premiership and Sven-Goran Eriksson was there to watch it.

And it ended with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale taking an amazing trek around the pitch at the end to personally talk to disgruntled fans who had been abusing their team, manager David O'Leary and his coach Brian Kidd for much of a shocking match.

Ridsdale, surrounded by stewards, was clearly trying to placate angry Yorkshire fans who had seen their side top of the table on New Year's Day but now virtually out of everything.

On the pitch it had just been a bruising battle more fitting for neighbouring Stanley Park than Goodison Park.

For a team in crisis, Leeds could have done without losing England defender Ferdinand before the start with a back injury, and then having central defensive partner Matteo dismissed before half-time.

It was yet another brush with Essex referee Andy D'Urso for Leeds, who always seems to be around when the Elland Road club have their troubles.

He had been the fourth official in the tunnel at Highbury in August when Danny Mills ended up with an FA disrepute charge for abusing the official after being sent off.

And Leeds will not forget that Alan Smith was sent off by D'Urso in the battle of Cardiff and the Premiership side's FA Cup exit.

The Leeds fans, who had occupied themselves by abusing head coach Brian Kidd and lauding the legendary Eddie Gray - who has taken a back seat in Leeds' coaching set-up of late - let D'Urso know what they thought about the dismissal of Matteo, the ex-Liverpool man trudging off after only 38 minutes.

But in the current climate of clear directives over tackles from behind, there really was not much the official could do.

He had booked Matteo for tripping Tomasz Radzinski as the little Everton man had scampered away down the right just 11 minutes before producing the red card as the centre-back went straight through Kevin Campbell from behind.

Matteo had got away with a couple of previous heavy challenges on the Everton skipper, while Smith had dished out some nasty stuff to Jesper Blomqvist earlier, so D'Urso needed to get a grip - and he did just that.

Everton should have gone ahead a couple of minutes after the dismissal while Leeds were still working out who was going to slot in alongside Michael Duberry, Ferdinand's replacement.

There was no-one to be seen as Scot Gemmill set up Radzinski 10 yards out with a neat pass, but the Polish-Canadian drilled his shot straight at an exposed Nigel Martyn. Eirik Bakke was instantly thrust back into defence.

Before D'Urso's card trick, Leeds had struggled for balance and flow looking like a team who had forgotten how to play.

Everton, a team rarely seen to be able to do much more than huff and puff, produced a couple of long-range efforts from David Unsworth before Alan Stubbs had a header hacked off the line by Matteo a minute before his enforced early exit.

Leeds, though, even with 10, launched a lightning break seconds before half-time when Mark Viduka fed Harry Kewell, and Steve Simonsen was forced into a double save from the Aussie.

There had been a pretty unpleasant undertone anyway in the first half, and it got worse in the second. Smith was soon booked for a foul on Lee Carsley and then lucky not to go off for clattering into Gemmill three minutes later.

D'Urso did nothing, and he struggled to keep control from this point on. David Batty flattened Gemmill and again there was no free-kick, with Everton raging.

Seconds later Ian Harte clung onto Radzinski in the box but again there was no action, although there were plenty of verbals from Martyn and Duberry aimed at the grounded striker.

The game and its nastiness was flooding around D'Urso as he took abuse from all quarters - on and off the pitch.

The next booking was for Radzinski for diving, Batty having had minimal contact on the hour, with the striker flinging himself to the ground in the box.

There had been precious little football in all this mayhem but Blomqvist fired wide and Tobias Linderoth should have scored when put away by Campbell as the situation appeared to calm down.

Smith, though, appeared to be looking for his third red card of the season with a lunge at David Weir.

But Leeds' red mist cleared sufficiently for them to start looking the better side, even with 10 men. They had more possession and pace and Kewell and Smith were increasingly dangerous - the latter reverting to his considerable footballing talents.

David Ginola and Thomas Gravesen were hurled into the fray for Everton and instantly there was a double chance for Campbell, Bakke blocking the first and Martyn bravely at the striker's feet saved the second.

The abuse from the Leeds fans aimed at their management got louder. The fans wanted Robbie Keane on and they did not get him.

They assaulted Kidd's ears every time he got off the bench and the growing dissatisfaction will not have been lost on Ridsdale.

In injury-time Ginola, a flickering flame on the edge of the action, unleashed a 20-yarder that fizzed inches past a post and in the last seconds Batty clambered all over Radzinski once more.

Again no penalty was awarded and a distasteful game ended with more argy-bargy from the players. And still no firm action from D'Urso.

Teams:

Everton Simonsen, Pistone, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Blomqvist (Ginola 80), Gemmill, Linderoth (Gravesen 80), Carsley, Radzinski, Campbell.

Subs Not Used: Gerrard, Alexandersson, Clarke.

Booked: Radzinski.

Leeds Martyn, Kelly, Duberry, Matteo, Harte, Smith, Batty, Bakke, Kewell, Viduka, Fowler.

Subs Not Used: Keane, Robinson, McPhail, Wilcox, Richardson.

Sent Off: Matteo (39).

Booked: Matteo, Smith.

Att: 33,226

Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).