Harry Kewell grabbed his sixth goal of the season to rekindle Leeds' dreams of Europe and again spark Tottenham's relegation nightmares.

The Australian international's first-half injury-time strike helped Leeds to their first Premiership win at Elland Road since December 20 and only their second victory in their last nine top-flight games.

For Spurs boss Christian Gross, whose side pulled five points clear of the relegation zone with Sunday's 1-0 home win over Bolton, these remain anxious times as Tottenham have now played two games more than all of the bottom three.

Not even the French flair of leading scorer David Ginola and the second-half introduction of £2.3million Algerian international midfielder Moussa Saib could rescue Spurs a point from a woeful performance.

But for three chances in the opening 45 minutes, Tottenham were virtually clueless, particularly during a second half in which United keeper Nigel Martyn barely had a touch of the ball.

Kewell's goal not only pushed Leeds to within three points of the coveted sixth place in the Premiership, and with it a spot in Europe next season, but it also ended a personal eight-match goal drought.

The 19-year-old product of the New South Wales Soccer Academy capped a flowing move down the right wing between Lee Bowyer and Rod Wallace, stooping at the far post to power a downward header from the transfer-listed striker's cross beyond Norwegian international keeper Espen Baardsen.

Prior to the goal, chances were even for both sides during a drab first-half which took 15 minutes to finally get going.

After a quarter of an hour, Ginola turned in a low cross for Germany skipper Jurgen Klinsmann, who had stolen in front of Martin Hiden but his stabbed shot from inside the six-yard box was inches wide.

Leeds' Dutch striker Jimmy Hasselbaink was primed to shoot in the 17th minute before Ramon Vega, back after suspension, cleared off his toes.

Just after the half-hour, Danish international Allan Nielsen blocked a goal-bound shot from the Dutchman, before Hasselbaink then saw Baardsen produce a superb 35th minute block to keep out a powerful 20-yard drive.

In between, Spurs came within a whisker of taking the lead but for an inspirational stop from the recently under-fire Martyn.

The England international had uncharacteristically made two mistakes in his last two games against Newcastle and Southampton which had potentially cost his side four points.

But the 31-year-old made amends with a flying, full-stretch leap to his left to push round the post Nielsen's thunderous 15-yard half-volley.

Then, seven minutes from the break, a Spurs counter-attack saw Ruel Fox cut inside Ian Harte, but his cross had too much power on it for the in-rushing David Howells to turn home from just inside the six-yard area.

United should have wrapped the game up in the second-half as several chances went begging, in particular for Wallace who directed a weak 58th minute shot at Baardsen, while the keeper made another goal-denying save eight minutes later to beat away another golden Hasselbaink effort.

However, Spurs could have stolen a point at the death when substitute Garry Brady's curling right wing ball eluded the United defence and Klinsmann, having again stolen round the back, just touched the ball wide with only Martyn to beat.

Teams:

Leeds: Martyn, Maybury, Molenaar, Hiden, Harte, Halle, Bowyer, Hopkin, Kewell, Hasselbaink (Matthews 89), Wallace (McPhail 89).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Jackson, Beeney.

Goals: Kewell 45.

Tottenham: Baardsen, Carr, Campbell, Vega, Wilson (Fenn 83), Fox, Howells (Saib 60), Berti (Brady 71), Nielsen, Klinsmann, Ginola.

Subs Not Used: Calderwood, Grodas.

Booked: Berti, Howells.

Att: 31,394

Ref: P E Alcock (Redhill).