Until yesterday the most frightening thing about Eirik Bakke was his dad. Svein is the Norwegian troubleshooter who stirred up a Wimbledon uprising after he was brought in with a view to selling their top players to balance the books.
While the father ponders how to deal with the Crazy Gang's brand of economics, Eirik can now claim to have kept Leeds' season heavily in credit.
The two goals that sunk Port Vale were Bakke's first since his Stg£1.75m summer transfer from Sogndal and his neat understated performances in Leeds' midfield are attracting growing praise.
Leeds, committed to four competitions in 11 days, sorely needed Bakke's unexpected knack. Just the sight of Port Vale, with six yellow shirts determinedly blocking midfield, was enough to encourage exhaustion, and they rarely mustered much attacking zest.
Fatigue had also spread to the crowd, too. Fewer than 12,000 turned out. Vale, who had resisted the proposition to cut prices, clearly have little idea of the laws of supply and demand.
Slightly more than hour had elapsed when Bakke began to plot Leeds' course into the fourth round. For Ian Harte to direct his left-wing cross towards the diminutive Gary Kelly smacked of desperation, but when the Irishman's header was palmed aside by Paul Musselwhite, Bakke squeezed the ball in.
Harte also fashioned the second, Bakke turning in his corner at the near-post. He had only been included because of David Batty's calf trouble but by the whistle had posed about as much of an attacking threat as has the England international in an entire career.
"It was hard to get them going, everything was very flat," said David O'Leary, the Leeds manager. But if squad systems are not entirely in vogue, there are times when Leeds might make greater use of their limited resources. Michael Bridges was rested for Darren Huckerby, but Lucas Radebe's below-par display suggested that Michael Duberry might also have been included.
Vale's best chance came after four minutes, Tony Gardner beating Jonathon Woodgate to Richard Eyre's corner but heading the opportunity wide.
For the rest of the half it was the pace of Vale's lone striker Tony Rougier that most unnerved Leeds. Radebe's weak back-header drew Nigel Martyn on walkabout from his goal but the Trinidad striker, wide on the right, was unable to capitalise.
By half-time Leeds were already taking control: Alan Smith hooking over, Harte striking a post with a right-foot shot and Harry Kewell hitting the ball against the goalkeeper's legs. "Quality told in the end," said Vale's manager, Brian Horton.
LEEDS UNITED: Martyn, Kelly, Woodgate, Radebe, Harte, Bowyer (Bridges 75), Bakke, McPhail, Kewell, Smith (Jones 72), Huckerby. Subs Not Used: Mills, Duberry, Robinson. Booked: Smith. Goals: Bakke 61, 68.
PORT VALE: Musselwhite, Gardner, Snijders, Burns, Brisco, Eyre, Widdrington, Minton, Tankard (Naylor 67), Foyle, Rougier. Subs Not Used: Butler, Corden, Bogie, Pilkington. Booked: Snijders, Widdrington, Eyre, Brisco.
Referee: S Dunn (Bristol).
