Newcastle - 0 Leeds Utd - 2 Leeds United have stood accused of many things over the past couple of years but never has larceny on such a grand scale been levied at them.

Terry Venables was left smiling slyly like a character in an Ealing comedy after he saw his new bunch of players pinch a fourth-minute lead with a Mark Viduka goal that looked illegal and then withstand a Newcastle onslaught that brought at least a dozen inviting opportunities for Bobby Robson's men.

But either the chance was squandered, as in the curious case of the missing Andy O'Brien header 20 minutes from the end, or Leeds's new number one Paul Robinson caught, parried and stretched to smother the others.

Not even the double introduction of Craig Bellamy and Hugo Viana did the trick for Robson and it was England's latest centre forward Alan Smith who finally grabbed a second goal four minutes from time with an emphatic angled volley that left Shay Given stranded. For Newcastle, it was a collective feeling.

Lomana Lua Lua played for the Congo at the weekend and had returned drained.Nikos Dabizas had played for Greece and he, too, was not fit to be a substitute.

The men who came in were O'Brien for Dabizas and Shola Ameobi, surprisingly, given that Bellamy is almost 100 per cent fit. However, it was the return of Laurent Robert to the left wing that promised Newcastle adventure.

In front of Leeds full back Danny Mills was Smith, back on the wing after his central activity with England.

His 15-game run without a yellow card ended after 32 minutes, for a foul on Olivier Bernard.

In an electric opening, Mills's first intervention was to prove more significant than Robert's.

Tackling Kieron Dyer on the edge of the Leeds area, Mills started an 80-yard move that ended in Viduka striking the ball high into Shay Given's net.

In between, Nick Barmby played Harry Kewell into an acre of space in the Newcastle half.

Kewell looked offside, though not as much as Viduka, but the flag stayed down and Kewell teed Viduka up.

In that last game here, Smith had scored after 28 seconds and Newcastle still won 3-1, and last night it seemed as if an equaliser was coming at once when Alan Shearer cleverly headed back Ameobi's cross into the path of Robert. But Ian Harte blocked bravely.

A tempo had been set and it was quick, quick and quick again, with both midfields excelling in crisp forward passing.

In one moment, Kewell was attempting to make it 2-0, the next Jonathan Woodgate was thwarting Shearer at the other end.

By the time Shearer nearly scored with an improvised half-volley in the 26th minute Woodgate was already having an outstanding match, but that was evidence of Newcastle's gradual assumption of control, spurred on by Dyer and Nolberto Solano.

Paul Robinson in the Leeds goal made three fine saves before half-time, once from Bernard and twice from Ameobi, who was inches away from deservedly making it 1-1 when he toe-poked a cross by Aaron Hughes through Woodgate's legs only for Robinson to catch it at full stretch on the line.

The first half was so good the DJ thought the second should begin set to music, Shearer bursting down the right as the band played on.

Shearer was soon bursting through the middle as well, only to hit his shot straight at Robinson; and Ameobi then headed over Newcastle's eighth decent chance in the 56th minute.

A Gary Speed drive from 30 yards was the ninth but still Newcastle were behind.

A treble substitution had worked at Anfield for Robson and, when Bellamy ran on to a loose ball shortly after his arrival, it appeared it might work again.

The Welshman's effort went wide, and when O'Brien headed a Solano corner into the ground and over in the 70th minute, Newcastle knew their night was an exercise in frustration.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, O'Brien (Griffin 83), Bramble, Bernard, Solano, Dyer, Speed (Viana 67), Robert, Shearer, Ameobi (Bellamy 67). Subs Not Used: Jenas, Harper. Booked: Speed, Griffin, Bramble.

Leeds: Robinson, Mills, Woodgate, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Dacourt, Barmby, Smith, Viduka (Bakke 85), Kewell. Subs Not Used: Martyn, Kelly, Radebe, Okon. Booked: Mills, Smith. Goals: Viduka 5, Smith 87.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).