Dutch winger Willem Korsten moved a step closer to his dream of a permanent
summer move to Leeds with a vital 55th minute winner against Everton.
Korsten, who arrived at Elland Road a month ago, is on loan from Vitesse
Arnhem until the end of the season with the hope of landing a long-term deal.
After his best performance in a Leeds shirt in the 2-1 win at Aston Villa on
Wednesday, and his debut goal to keep Everton in the thick of the relegation
dogfight, Korsten is likely to be high on boss David O'Leary's summer shopping
list.
The goal keeps Leeds on course for a place in Europe, while it was back to
reality for Walter Smith and his side after their dream goalscoring spree in
midweek when they beat Middlesbrough 5-0.
It also means the curse of Elland Road has yet to be lifted - Everton are
still to win at the Yorkshire club's ground in 37 visits stretching back to
September 1951, now 26 defeats and 11 draws.
The goal also lifted a dire game out of the doldrums despite both sides going
into the clash full of confidence after their exploits on Wednesday.
The first half was about as bad as it gets, not only in the top flight but
virtually at any level of football as any quality was replaced by football
seemingly stuck in a quagmire.
The fast, flowing, attacking game which has been so prevalent in Leeds' game
for so long this season, floundered on the rocks of an Everton defence
well-marshalled by David Unsworth.
Although Smith's side mopped up well at the back, Leeds' movement and passing
was still nowhere near incisive enough to break open the Toffees.
The attacking highlights came from the visitors in the opening 45 minutes, but
even then they were shots from distance as Leeds comfortably dealt with the few
occasions in which Everton dared to break into the box.
Normally-assured goalkeeper Nigel Martyn spilled a 25-yard effort from Olivier
Dacourt into space in the area, but Lee Bowyer - fit after a bout of flu and
making his 100th league and cup appearance for United - hacked clear.
Dacourt also flashed another searing drive inches wide of Martyn's right-hand
post during the first period, while skipper Don Hutchison only just cleared the
bar with his angled effort after fending off the challenge of David Wetherall.
The frightful football continued for the opening 10 minutes of the second half
until a moment of inspiration from 14-goal hot-shot Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
finally unlocked the Everton rearguard.
Just moments earlier Hasselbaink had been knocked flying after being smacked
on the head by a point blank Unsworth clearance - one which also seemed to wake
up the Dutch international.
After treatment, a surging 55th minute run into the heart of the visiting
defence allowed him to feed Korsten with a cutting through ball, the winger
running onto the pass before beating Myhre with an angled left-foot shot.
The confidence was back as Leeds then looked to kill the game off as they
picked up the pace and found their rhythm.
And if Hasselbaink had been in the kind of form which saw him destroy Villa,
then Leeds would have avoided the several scares they suffered at the end.
Hasselbaink flashed a fierce shot across the face of goal just after the hour,
and then missed a sitter nine minutes from time after substitute Alan Smith had
set him up from just six yards out.
Hasselbaink was the injury-time hero, however, as he cleared Marco Materazzi's
goal-bound header off the line minutes after Nicky Barmby had blasted over from
close range.
Teams
Leeds: Martyn, Halle, Wetherall, Radebe, Harte, Haaland, Hopkin,
Bowyer (Jones 84), Korsten, Hasselbaink, Kewell (Smith 69).
Subs Not Used: Wijnhard, Granville, Robinson.
Booked: Haaland, Hasselbaink.
Goals: Korsten 55.
Everton: Myhre, Dunne, Materazzi, Unsworth, Ball,
Oster (Weir 75), Dacourt, Grant (Bakayoko 61), Barmby, Hutchison,
Jeffers (Cadamarteri 61).
Subs Not Used: Watson, Simonsen.
Booked: Barmby, Dunne.
Att: 36,344
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
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