Two-goal Michael Bridges fired Leeds back into the title race on a day when veteran goalkeeper Neville Southall again graced the Premiership stage.

Manchester United had piled the pressure back on Leeds with the 3-1 Old Trafford success over Derby, throwing the gauntlet down to David O'Leary's side.

But just as Leeds have done all season, they responded in magnificent fashion in the heat of a typically intense Yorkshire derby with their bitter rivals to close the gap at the top of the table to four points.

It was another of Bradford's hard luck stories as the Bantams were in control for most of the game, but at the end of the day they were forced to relinquish their proud home record.

Bradford had not been beaten at Valley Parade since early September - a run of nine matches incorporating four wins and five draws - and it took a goal from Bridges either side of the break to bring the run to an end.

Perhaps City boss Paul Jewell had realised it was not going to be his day when he learned Matt Clarke had slipped on stairs at home this morning and would not be able to play.

No one could then have been more surprised than Southall, at the grand old age of 41 years and seven months, when he received the call telling him his services were required as Clarke had again damaged his medial knee ligaments.

Clarke was ready to return to the side following a seven-week lay-off after first sustaining the injury in a win over Watford towards the end of January.

With Gary Walsh out for almost the rest of the season after a second operation recently on his own knee problem, it appeared as if it would be a timely comeback from Clarke.

Last week Bradford chairman Geoffrey Richmond failed to agree terms with Aidan Davison on a permanent three-and-a-half year deal following the Northern Ireland international's three-month loan spell from Sheffield United.

So given the crisis, Southall was back as one of the oldest men to play Premier League football - with John Burridge the record holder at 43 while with Manchester City five years ago.

It was Southall's 978th appearance both at domestic and international level, coming in the twilight of a glittering career.

But it was his first in the Premiership since November 29, 1997 when he last played with Everton in a 2-0 defeat against Spurs at Goodison Park.

Since then, Southall has plied his trade in the lower reaches with Southend, Stoke, non-league Doncaster and then Torquay prior to being signed on a non-contract basis by Bradford.

The former Wales international enjoyed a quiet opening 12 minutes, but one of his first tasks was to pick the ball out of the net after Leeds took the lead in the 13th minute.

Ian Harte whipped in a curling free-kick to the far post from the left, and it was debatable whether a now portly Southall should have claimed, but it allowed Bridges to knock the ball home from six yards in ungainly fashion.

Just seven minutes later Leeds should have buried Bradford as Bridges delightfully combined with Stephen McPhail to set up the easiest of chances for Alan Smith from seven yards.

Smith, back in the line-up in the absence of the suspended Harry Kewell, was left with a wide open goal to aim at as Southall had been pulled out of position. But he sliced his sidefoot shot a yard wide.

It galvanised Bradford into action and they proceeded to control the game, but without testing England international Nigel Martyn, despite intense pressure and the backing of a partisan crowd.

Referee Paul Durkin turned away one penalty shout late in the first half when Eirik Bakke and Dean Saunders bundled into each other in the box, and again on another day, a different official might have given the spot-kick.

But Leeds survived and although City remained in the driving seat at the start of the second half, they eventually conceded the second against the run of the play in the 63rd minute.

Ian Harte started the move with a ball out wide to Jason Wilcox, with the winger's delivery into the heart of the six-yard area hitting Lee Bowyer.

But as Southall came to claim, a prone Bowyer played the ball to Smith, allowing the teenager to pick out £5million club record signing Bridges, who teed up his shot before scooping the ball into the top corner of the net.

Bradford, however, refused to buckle and they managed to give themselves a lifeline 15 minutes from time when Peter Beagrie had Martyn beaten for the first time in 470 minutes with a thunderous 25-yard free-kick.

Despite striving for the equaliser, they failed to conjure up the goal which would have given them a deserved point, leaving Jewell's side in the bottom three.

For Leeds, they are still in sight of Manchester United, but more importantly they have a vital stranglehold on a potential Champions' League place, which has been O'Leary's goal since the start of the season.

Teams

Bradford: Southall, McCall, Wetherall, Lawrence, Whalley (Cadete 65), Beagrie, O'Brien, Windass, Halle (Blake 65), Jacobs, Saunders.

Subs Not Used: Taylor, Sharpe, Dreyer.

Booked: Wetherall, Jacobs, Windass, Lawrence.

Goals: Beagrie 75.

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Haaland, Radebe, Bridges (Huckerby 90), Bowyer, McPhail (Hopkin 73), Wilcox,Smith, Bakke.

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Duberry, Maybury.

Booked: Harte, Haaland.

Goals: Bridges 12, 63.

Att: 18,276

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).