Goal-crazy Leeds sparked a grandstand finish for the last day of the season as they kept alive their dream of a return to the Champions League in spectacular fashion.

With their hopes of a place in this season's final crushed following the harrowing 3-0 defeat to Valencia on Tuesday in the second leg of the semi final, United ensured there was no hangover by running riot against their feuding Yorkshire rivals.

With the goals flying past goalkeeper Aidan Davison, a late replacement for Gary Walsh who injured his knee during the warm up, City's season completely unravelled at the seams on the stroke of half time.

With the Bantams humiliatingly 5-1 down, Stuart McCall and Andy Myers were involved in an unseemly bust-up on the edge of their own area, one which led to City's skipper with blood pouring down the left-hand side of his face after apparently being hit by the defender.

McCall was all ready to retaliate when former Leeds full-back Gunnar Halle stepped in to pull Myers away along with two United players, but with referee Andy D'Urso taking no action as neither he nor his linesman witnessed the brawl.

At that point Bradford were a shambles and only the half-time whistle which soon followed took the heat out of the situation, although seething boss Jim Jefferies will undoubtedly have turned up the temperature in the dressing room with strong words of retribution.

For Leeds, it was a 45 minutes to savour as their passing and movement was just too much for doomed Bradford to handle, with every goal helping their cause for Champions League football again next season.

With just one match remaining, Leeds now trail Liverpool by a point and are level with Ipswich, although following this mauling are now four goals better off than George Burley's side.

O'Leary has already stated he would love to pip close friend Gerard Houllier for third again, just as he did on the final day last season when United drew at West Ham and the Reds suffered a shock defeat, ironically at Bradford.

But there was to be no turning of the tables this season, not with Leeds in such rampant form, ensuring the race for the final Champions League place goes down to the wire with United at home to Leicester, Liverpool at Charlton and Ipswich at Derby.

This was a day, though, when Leeds had fun in the sun at Elland Road and at the expense of Jefferies' rock-bottom side, who had been performing well recently since relegation to the First Division had been confirmed.

But on this occasion City simply had no answer to O'Leary's scintillating side, certainly not with a makeshift defence in front of Davison given both former Leeds centre-backs Robert Molenaar and David Wetherall were out injured.

Chances had already gone begging for Harry Kewell, Eirik Bakke and Mark Viduka before the opening goal finally arrived in the 14th minute from the Australia international.

Viduka's flying header from five yards following a rare right-foot cross from Harte was his 22nd of the season and his 17th in the Premiership and delightfully set Leeds on their way.

It was 2-0 just five minutes later when Harte struck one of his customary trademark free-kicks to reach double figures for the season, cracking the ball over the wall and beyond a rooted Davison from 25 yards after McCall had fouled Viduka.

But despite the potentially devastating double-whammy, Bradford managed to pull one back in the 22nd minute as a piercing through-ball into the area from Eoin Jess picked out Ashley Ward, with the striker then turning Danny Mills and firing a low 12-yard shot past Nigel Martyn.

Just five minutes later, though, Leeds restored their two-goal cushion with Bakke delightfully lifting the ball over an advancing Davison from a tight angle after being superbly picked out by a stunning pass from Alan Smith.

A fourth was added in the 38th minute when Viduka nodded a far post cross from Danny Mills down into the path of Smith to bundle home his 16th of the season from six yards with his left foot.

The five-star half was completed in the 43rd minute, with Harry Kewell controlling a long goal-kick from Martyn, and then jinking his way past Ian Nolan before stabbing home only his second goal since returning from injury three months ago.

Although the Leeds supporters were chanting "we want 10" that failed to materialise during the second period and it was not until five minutes from time they managed to add the sixth.

The linesman's flag had chalked off a second for Smith minutes earlier, but there was no doubt about a deserved goal for the tireless Lee Bowyer as he capitalised on a mistake by Wayne Jacobs, who failed to clear another Harte cross.

It ensured Leeds became only the fourth team this season to score six in a Premier League game, with Manchester United (twice), Arsenal and Chelsea also achieving such a feat - one which could prove crucial in the final shake up next Saturday.

Teams

Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Ferdinand, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Dacourt (McPhail 75), Kewell, Smith, Viduka.

Subs Not Used: Kelly, Robinson, Wilcox, Maybury.

Booked: Dacourt.

Goals: Viduka 14, Harte 19, Bakke 27, Smith 38, Kewell 43, Bowyer 84.

Bradford Davison, Jacobs, Halle, Nolan (Locke 45), Myers, Lawrence, Whalley, McCall, Jess, Ward, Carbone.

Subs Not Used: Blake, Walsh, Grant, Kerr.

Goals: Ward 22.

Att: 38,300

Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).