A magic show with an encore, Mark Viduka makes Leeds United folklore against Liverpool - Graham Smyth's Verdict

The lettering on the back of his shirt was torn, from one of the battles he fought and won against Liverpool defenders in United's 4-3 win over the shellshocked Reds.

He shrugged off the attentions of Sami Hyypia and Markus Babbel and the lazy tag with his hold-up play and contribution to Leeds' attacking play.

But it was his four goals that made his £6m move from Celtic look an absolute steal and made him the first Whites player to find the net four times in a league game since Allan Clarke in April 1971.

Sniffer himself would have been proud of all four of Viduka's finishes.

The first came with Leeds looking dead and buried, a shambolic start to the game leaving them 2-0 down and staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

Emile Heskey had caused problems inside 30 seconds and when he baited Jonathan Woodgate into a rash challenge out on the right two minutes in, Hyypia got up to meet Patrik Berger's free-kick with embarrassing ease to head the Reds in front.

An aghast-looking Woodgate was withdrawn on 16 minutes, Danny Hay coming on to try and get to grips with Heskey.

But Liverpool contained so many other threats and another free-kick, this time won by Berger and delivered by former United man Gary McAllister, Christian Ziege nodded in number two.

It was the stuff of nightmares.

Leeds' midfield was almost non-existent and the defence looked shaky, at best.

It took Viduka to take the fight to Hyypia and drag the Whites forward, winning free-kicks, allowing the hosts to build momentum and stem the red tide.

Alan Smith's workrate was on display throughout and midway through the half his pressing of Ziege forced an error, allowing Viduka to pounce with the first of four fine instinctive finishes.

This one was dinked, to perfection.

Liverpool still looked dangerous and with Lee Bowyer on a booking and lucky to still be on the park after getting away with a studs-up challenge on Heskey, it appeared as if they would have their way in the middle of the park, particularly on the break.

Leeds, however, had Paul Robinson in fine shot-stopping form and he made a huge save from Dietmar Hamann to keep the hosts, who were actually beginning to look the better side, in the game.

Bowyer was still ratting around, walking a tightrope but now giving Leeds energy with his physicality and it was anyone's game going into the break.

If David O'Leary's side got the game off to the worst possible start, they began the second perfectly.

Gary Kelly hared down the right, whipped in a striker's dream of a ball and Viduka had two, his header rocketing past Sander Westerveld.

It was open, it was anyone's and it should have been 3-2 to Leeds when a defensive and goalkeeping mix-up left Smith with an open goal to aim at, Jamie Carragher saving Liverpool with a miraculous clearance.

That moment seemed to wake Liverpool from their slumber and when Vladimír Šmicer stole a yard on Dom Matteo to turn home their third, the Reds were once again in control.

Bowyer was still a force, showing he could play as well as disrupt, but with Viduka going quiet and the Reds sending on Robbie Fowler and Steven Gerrard - Leeds had named a four-man bench that paled in comparison - it was difficult to see past an away win.

Step forward Bowyer, with a lovely touch, Olivier Dacourt, with a through ball, and Viduka, yet again, with twists and turns so sharp they injured Berger's knee and ended his afternoon, giving the Aussie forward the space he needed to fire in his third.

If that had been the end of the magic show, no one would have asked for a refund.

Two minutes later came the encore.

Dacourt's pass, cleverly disguised as an actual shot, was controlled by Viduka who found enough of a gap to run in alone and produce another pleasing on the eye dink of a finish.

Liverpool pressed for an equaliser, Leeds held them off and the defence that had creaked earlier was solid as oak. The midfield fought to preserve the lead and Smith stretched Liverpool on the break, putting in his all right to the end.

Even Viduka got involved, diving into a challenge to regain possession he himself had lost and taking up precious seconds before the final whistle brought his manager running towards him for an embrace that was part triumph, part disbelief.

His 41 touches, 11 successful battles, seven of them aerial, five shots and four goals combined for one of the great Leeds United centre forward displays.

Almost 20 years on it it still a performance to be cherished. The Reds' day to forget will never be forgotten by Whites.