Rio Ferdinand's hotly-anticipated return to Elland Road ended with the bitter taste of defeat as Harry Kewell temporarily sent Leeds back to the top of the Premiership.

Leeds fans will dine out on this victory for many a day as they not only beat their hated rivals for the first time in five years, but they had the last laugh on a player they regarded as a hero up until two months ago.

Ferdinand had expected the backlash from Leeds fans to be severe following his record-breaking £30million in the summer, yet for the most part pleas for calm from boss Terry Venables and chairman Peter Ridsdale were heeded.

There were the expected terrace taunts of 'Judas' while his every touch was greeted with a chorus of boos and jeers.

There were also a few supporters wearing t-shirts with slogans such as 'Traitors - Jordan, McQueen, Cantona, Rio' - listing Ferdinand with other players who infamously left Leeds for United.

When those three other players all returned to Leeds for the first time, however, they ended up on the winning side, yet for Ferdinand the scenario was different as Kewell settled the issue in the 66th minute.

A superbly worked move involving half-time substitute Eirik Bakke, Kewell and Lee Bowyer, resulted in Ian Harte curling in fine cross for the Australia international.

Kewell had continued with an unmarked run into the area, and with Ferdinand and centre-back partner Laurent Blanc nowhere, he nodded a downward header past Fabien Barthez from six yards for his second goal of the season.

It inevitably prompted chants of 'Rio, Rio, what's the score?', with Leeds holding on to inflict upon Manchester United a second successive defeat following their shock 1-0 Old Trafford loss to Bolton in midweek.

It was a typical game between these two sides in which passions ran high, although the opening exchanges were primarily dominated by a litany of poor first touches by many of the country's most highly-paid players.

It was with a different touch of irony during the opening 45 minutes that two of Leeds' best chances came via a lack of communication between Ferdinand and Barthez.

The imposing centre-back first cleared a Harte free-kick out of the hands of the approaching Frenchman, with the ball looping over the bar.

Shortly afterwards, as Ferdinand attempted to shield a back pass to Barthez, an alert Mark Viduka almost stole in before the France international hacked clear the danger.

That was as much work as Barthez was forced into for the clear-cut opportunities fell the way of United, despite lacking the midfield punch of injured trio Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Juan Sebastian Veron.

It was the legs of Paul Robinson which prevented United from making a 15th-minute breakthrough as fine approach play between Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy ended with the latter skipping between Danny Mills and captain Dominic Matteo.

The Dutchman's right-footed, flicked shot from six yards looked destined for the bottom corner, only for an in-form Robinson to kick the ball clear as he dived the wrong way.

After Beckham, who had earlier been lucky not to be booked after elbowing Bowyer, was shoulder-barged off the ball by Alan Smith, it gave the England skipper the perfect free-kick chance, one he bent low round the wall from 24 yards, only for the well-placed Harte to chest clear.

With the visitors on top, Jonathan Woodgate then superbly toe-ended a Giggs header off the line just before the break after the Wales international had flicked on a Beckham free-kick from the left wing.

Injuries to Nick Barmby and Matteo forced Venables into a double substitution at the break, with Bakke and Lucas Radebe the replacements, but it was still Sir Alex Ferguson's side who should have broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute.

Van Nistelrooy first robbed Bowyer and then powered his way past the challenge of Woodgate before driving in a low, angled shot which Robinson brilliantly tipped away before Radebe mopped up.

When Nicky Butt departed following a lunge from Bowyer, Leeds then took control and ultimately capitalised prior to a frantic finish which culminated in more than four minutes of injury-time, and a scuffle involving a number of the players following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's late challenge on Kewell.

When the final whistle sounded the cheers were loud and raucous as those five years of pent-up frustration were finally dispelled, while Ferdinand merely trudged off wearily.

Teams:

Leeds: Robinson, Mills, Woodgate, Matteo (Radebe 45), Harte, Barmby (Bakke 45), Bowyer, Dacourt, Kewell, Smith, Viduka (McPhail 72).

Subs Not Used: Martyn, Kelly.

Booked: Smith, Harte.

Goals: Kewell 67.

Man Utd: Barthez, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Blanc, Silvestre, Phil Neville, Beckham, Butt (Chadwick 63), Giggs, van Nistelrooy (Forlan 71), Solskjaer.

Subs Not Used: Ricardo, Pugh, Roche.

Booked: Solskjaer.

Att: 39,622

Ref: J Winter (Cleveland).