Eirik Bakke fired a two-goal warning to Manchester United as Leeds defiantly refused to wilt under the pressure put on them by Sir Alex Ferguson's Treble winners.

Three times this month the reigning Premier League champions have posed questions about Leeds' title credentials, and three times the Yorkshire club have emphatically responded.

Manchester again opened up a seven-point cushion at the top of the table following their 2-0 victory over Leicester on Saturday and there seems no stopping the Old Trafford juggernaut.

But Leeds showed they are determined to stay hot on their heels by again closing the gap to four points with yet another pulsating display, while a place in next season's Champions' League grows ever nearer.

Leeds skipper Lucas Radebe had spoken of revenge before the game and his team-mates duly obliged as they outplayed and over-ran Wimbledon, despite making a harrowing start.

United had produced one of their worst performances of the season in crashing to a 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in November following one of their European excursions to Moscow.

It looked as though manager David O'Leary's side were again suffering a UEFA Cup hangover in the opening minutes of this one as they looked disorganised and dishevelled.

Leeds had run riot against Czech League leaders Slavia Prague in Thursday's quarter-final first-leg tie, although it then appeared as if the tiredness feared by the players had finally set in.

After five clean sheets in their previous six matches, which included keeping the might of Roma at bay in two matches, Leeds were caught napping after just 115 seconds.

Wimbledon's goal was simply crafted and powerfully executed as Marcus Gayle crossed from the left wing for Jason Euell to fire a thunderous header beyond the grasp of Nigel Martyn for his fifth goal of the season.

The goal shook Leeds to their foundations and they were completely thrown out of their stride for the next few minutes as they looked a shadow of the side battling for the title.

One calamitous mix-up between Martyn and Stephen McPhail allowed Euell to slide a piercing low ball through the six-yard box which somehow evaded three awaiting Dons team-mates.

But once Leeds awoke from their slumber the visitors were then forced to stage a rearguard action.

Although Neil Sullivan produced three great saves in the space of 10 minutes to keep Wimbledon in the game, it looked only a matter of time before Leeds made the breakthrough.

Michael Bridges was first kept at bay when clean through, prior to Harry Kewell twice being denied, initially after a mesmeric run and 18-yard drive which Sullivan just tipped round the post.

The Australian international then conjured up an acrobatic overhead volley after Alfie Haaland had sliced Ian Harte's free-kick, but again Sullivan showed his agility with the stop.

There was little he could do for Leeds' opener in the 23rd minute, however, as Bakke finally scored his first Premiership goal of the season - his other four having all come in the FA Cup.

McPhail's through ball found the bargain £1.75million buy on a defence-splitting and he took two touches before deftly beating an advancing Sullivan with a flick from the outside of his right boot.

It then took just five minutes for Leeds to go ahead, courtesy of striker target Carl Cort's moment of madness in his own area, with the 22-year-old eventually subbed at the break.

Cort could become a United player by this Thursday's transfer deadline as chairman Peter Ridsdale is expected to increase his recent £5million bid for the England Under-21 international.

But Cort inexplicably decided to handle a corner from David Hopkin - starting in place of Lee Bowyer who is sidelined with a knee injury - although he claimed he was pushed.

Referee Alan Wiley waved away all the protests and up stepped left-back Harte to send Sullivan the wrong way from the spot for his eighth of the season.

Six minutes before the break came the move of the game and the goal which sealed United's fifth successive victory, leaving the Dons continuing to sweat over their top flight future.

Hopkin found McPhail wide on the left, with the Irishman's low ball to the near post delightfully steered past a despairing Sullivan by Bakke's first time right-foot shot.

Egil Olsen's side could easily have caved in after the break and been beaten by a cricket score, but the Dons still showed traces of their old tenacious selves despite the changes both on and off the field over the seasons.

They at least defended more resolutely at times in the second half and this allowed them to create chances, with Andreas Lund narrowly firing wide, while Martyn was forced to make point-blank saves from Euell and Marcus Gayle.

But Leeds were not to be denied a fourth and after Kewell had struck the post in the 80th minute, he deservedly dealt the final blow three minutes later.

Alan Smith, on for Bridges moments later, sent Kewell away and clear, and after leaving Chris Willmott on the seat of his shorts he fired inside Sullivan for his 13th of the campaign.

Teams

Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Haaland, Radebe, Harte, Bakke (Jones 85), Hopkin, McPhail, Wilcox, Kewell (Huckerby 84),Bridges (Smith 64).

Subs Not Used: Robinson, Duberry.

Goals: Bakke 23, Harte 28 pen, Bakke 39, Kewell 83.

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Ardley, Willmott, Kimble, Euell, Earle, Cort (Badir 46), Gayle, Andersen,Lund (Hughes 65).

Subs Not Used: Blackwell, Heald, Andresen.

Booked: Earle.

Goals: Euell 2.

Att: 39,256

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).