The Yorkshiremen – from Bradford and Doncaster respectively – scored goals for fun in the days of platform shoes and bell-bottom flares, picking the pockets of dozens of unfortunate defenders along the way.
Fast forward just over three decades and the Pirates of today did a passable impersonation of arguably their two most famous footballing sons.

That said, they were aided along the way by two moments of walk-the-plank defending – only the predatory nous of running-hot striker Jermaine Beckford rescuing a point for the hosts.

It was the least United deserved for a second-half showing which saw Rovers' park everything but the team bus in front of keeper Steve Phillips after snaffling an unlikely interval lead.

Rovers' endeavour was limited in the extreme on the restart but boss Paul Trollope would have made few apologies for that, particularly at Elland Road which is traditionally an unwelcoming citadel for visiting raiders.

That's the theory anyway, but the fact that United's walls have been breached too many times for their liking this calendar year in their own backyard won't have been lost on anyone.

Since Oldham arrived at LS11 on January 1, the welcome mat has been extended to a fair few visiting sides – something Whites boss Gary McAllister won't need telling twice.

And in 15 home league and play-off games in 2008 it is telling that United have only won five times, losing six in the process – hardly Fortress Elland Road stuff.

McAllister may have had a few headaches of the pleasant kind in formulating his selection pre-game, but he will have been searching for the paracetamol after his side's lamentable defending gifted first-half goals to Rickie Lambert and Darryl Duffy.

Both arrived in the space of five minutes just after the half-hour mark and threatened to hand McAllister the unwanted statistic of back-to-back home league defeats for the first time in his United tenure.

It was all a far cry from the start as Leeds hit their straps early with a good tempo, with the likes of livewire Fabian Delph and Neil Kilkenny pulling the strings against moribund-looking visitors.

The white-hot competition for places ensured Rui Marques and Andy Robinson weren't even afforded spots on the bench and the bulk of the men in possession on Saturday were clearly under no illusions that slackening off isn't an option if they want to keep their place.
Competition brings success and all that.

David Lucas was retained in goal following Tuesday's Carling Cup blitzing of Championship Crystal Palace and was handed only his fourth league start for the Whites – and first since early February – in preference to Casper Ankergren.

A late groin injury picked up by Paul Telfer forced a rethink to McAllister's defensive strategy with Bradley Johnson again thrust into the fray as a makeshift left-back with Alan Sheehan out.

McAllister confirmed that if Telfer had been fit he would have selected him and rookie full-back Aidan White, who belied his years with a consummate cup debut alongside the veteran Scottish defender in midweek.

In the opening stanza Leeds carried on from where they left off against the Eagles, with an early breakthrough again emboldening their cause.

After Lambert's goal-bound fizzer was deflected for a corner off Paul Huntington, a deflection at the other end played an even more decisive part.

Beckford cut inside before seeing his effort take a big ricochet off the hand of Steve Elliott before rolling past the prostrate Phillips after only five minutes.

Elliott could have been forgiven for thinking he had smashed a few too many mirrors with the big defender credited with the late goal which gave United a narrow 1-0 lead in the Elland Road fixture last Christmas.

Not that Beckford was in any doubt that the goal was his, although it's certainly one for dubious goals committee.

Suitably settled, United stroked the ball around with aplomb early on and looked the part, with Jonathan Douglas screening the back four well to enable Delph in particular to set the attacking tone. But, for all their glut of possession, clear-cut chances didn't transpire and Rovers fired a shot across Leeds' bows when Jeff Hughes drilled an effort wide at the far post following David Pipe's cross.

The warning, unfortunately, wasn't heeded and parity was restored on 32 minutes when United criminally failed to clear their lines.

A gaping chasm of space was exploited by the unmarked Lambert, who latched onto a punt forward before coolly steering a right-footer past the exposed Lucas.

Worse was to come when more dereliction of defensive duty came five minutes later and Duffy, who hit a brace in Rovers' 6-1 hammering of Hereford the previous weekend, hardly needed a second invitation to score, steering the ball home after being handed the freedom of Elland Road following Chris Lines' free-kick.

Huntington then headed over when well placed following Johnson's centre before more charitable defending afforded Duffy acres of space and his curler flew just off target.

Attacking the Kop, United's tails were up from the off on the restart, with Lucas a total bystander at the other end.

The hosts knocked on the door continually with Rovers desperately hanging onto their precious gains with the likes of Elliott and Aaron Lescott wondering overtime at the back.

A glut of possession found the Pirates on the back foot with the visitors hemmed in from the off, yet substantive chances didn't materialise for Leeds.

Andrew Hughes headed straight at Phillips, following Beckford's centre, while Douglas and Delph fired off target. It was proving a test of patience for United and their supporters.

McAllister threw on Enoch Showunmi in the 66th minute to add an extra body 'up top' with Jonny Howson coming on for Hughes to add further impetus.

Howson saw his first-timer cannon off Elliott before the harassed Rovers' rearguard was finally breached on 78 minutes.

Beckford has started the season like a house on fire on the scoring front and after benefiting after Showunmi's shot rebounded invitingly into his path in the box there was only likely to be one outcome.

United's main man at the business end of the pitch impressively kept his cool before deliciously dinking the ball over the advancing Phillips – before celebrating with the Kop.

The script pointed in the direction of a United winner, but Rovers held out to claim a point.

They'd have snapped anyone's hands off if that had been offered to them at the kick-off.