As Leeds attempt to continue their best ever run of consecutive victories (the 4-1 win against Locomotiv Moscow on Thursday was our tenth in all competitions), the trip to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon looks, potentially, to be one of the trickiest of the season.

Historically, the place holds some kind of hoodoo over us. We have never managed to win a Premiership fixture there - and, indeed, you have to go as far back as August 1990 to discover our last away victory against the Toffees. In what was our first game back in the top flight, following our Second Division Championship season, we managed a 3-2 win.

Of the seven Premiership games between the two teams, at the ground, Everton have won four, with the other three being drawn. Last season, the two sides fought out a 0-0 draw, with Everton down to ten men for the last half hour, following the dismissal of Olivier Dacourt.

This season, Everton have made a surprisingly positive start to the campaign. Despite losing four away from home, they remain unbeaten at Goodison, having won three and drawn two. Before Saturday's fixtures, they were handily placed in seventh position, just eight points behind United. Saturday's results dropped them to ninth but a win against Leeds on Sunday afternoon could lift them as high as fifth.

The injury situation appears to favour Leeds with O'Leary reporting only "niggles and knocks" following the midweek UEFA Cup win. However, Everton are a little below par. Undoubtedly, the biggest loss for them is star teenage striker, Francis Jeffers who, on his day, can terrorize any defence. Potential replacement, Tommy Johnson, signed on loan from Celtic, is also out whilst full back, Richard Dunne, is doubtful.

In an unbelievable encounter at Goodison Park, Leeds were three times behind, came back to lead 4-3, only to be denied three points with almost the final kick of the game. All this on a ground where we had failed to score a single Premiership goal since 1993-94.

The match started at a frantic pace, with Everton threatening to take the lead as early as the third minute. A great move involving Barmby and Unsworth led to Collins just missing the target, when he should have done better. However, the Blues' supporters did not have to wait long to see their team take the lead. Just a minute later, Collins was again involved. Catching Kelly out on the left, he played the ball through to Campbell, who curled an exquisite shot past a stranded Martyn.

Leeds' response was immediate. From kick off, Bridges was only marginally offside as he thumped the ball into the Everton net. Then Bowyer headed straight at Gerrard when well placed and Woodgate had a header cleared off the line. All this in the opening ten minutes!

On 15 minutes, we deservedly equalized. Kewell, who was a constant thorn in the Everton side, burst past Weir down the left wing, whipping a cross into the box. The cross by-passed Smith but landed at the feet of Bridges - who tapped in his eighth goal of the season.

For the next quarter of an hour, we had the best of the action but could not add to our goal tally - and, against the run of play, it was Everton who restored their lead. Campbell, who was terrorizing the United central defenders, made a powerful run down the middle and chipped the ball over Martyn.

Still, though, the first half scoring wasn't over. Ten minutes from half time, Kewell found himself in space again on the left. He floated over what looked like another teasing cross. However, Gerrard was caught completely flat footed as the ball sailed over his head and into the back of the Everton net. Surely we'd now start to sort things out at the back? Not a bit of it! Just two minutes later the Leeds defence was all at sea once again. A real muddle inside the area led to Hutchinson side footing in from close range - to give Everton a slightly fortuitous first half lead.

If Everton had been slightly lucky to finish the first half on top, they certainly started the second period much the better side. Within ten minutes of the restart, Hutchinson drilled the ball just wide from only a yard out. Then, on the half hour mark came the game's most controversial incident. On the edge of the Leeds area, Radebe and Hutchinson tangled, with the latter ending up on the floor. Most of Goodison thought it to be a foul but the referee played on. Although it was outside the box, in any case, if the foul had been given then Radebe, as last man, would surely have received his marching orders. The home crowd and Manager, Walter Smith, were furious.

As things turned out, their anger was justified - as only five minutes later, we were level again. When Bridges controlled the ball on his chest, just outside the area there looked to be no danger whatsoever. However, in one movement, he brought the ball down and volleyed it into the back of the net. Leeds now had the scent of victory. A long goal kick by Martyn completely deceived Gough to give Bridges the chance of his second hat trick of the season. However, he scuffed his shot and, in any case, the linesman raised his flag.

With just twenty minutes remaining, Harte hit a powerful free kick towards goal, which Gerrard managed to turn round the post. However, from the resultant corner, again by Harte, Woodgate's header found the net. For the first time in the match, we were ahead!

We now started to look much more settled, especially at the back, and controlled the midfield, restricting Everton to only a few half chances. Huckerby, who had replaced Smith during the second half, was giving Kewell much needed support - and, with the clock ticking away, an unlikely victory appeared to be on the cards. That is, until injury time. A simple free kick was met by Weir at the far post, who headed powerfully past Martyn to complete the scoring.

The United fans were silenced as the final whistle blew. However, in the cold light of day, few would deny Everton a share of the spoils in what had been a superb game of attacking football. O'Leary will be disappointed to have conceded four - and, in the first half in particular, Woodgate and Radebe had perhaps their poorest game of the season. Still, look on the bright side. We're still top and have got through what was always going to be one of our toughest games without being defeated.

United Star Man: Michael Bridges.