By Gideon Long
Rueters
Tuesday, December 5, 2000; 5:13 PM

	Lazio's Fernando Manuel Couto Silva, left, tackles Leeds United's Alan Smith. (Domenico Stinellis - AP)

ROME, Dec 5 – A well-worked 80th minute strike by Alan Smith gave Leeds United a shock 1-0 win at Lazio in Champions League group D on Tuesday and handed the Rome side their second straight defeat in the competition.

Smith played a neat pass inside to Australian striking partner Mark Viduka on the edge of the box.

Viduka back-heeled it into the area, wrong-footing Lazio centreback Fernando Couto, and Smith stroked a low shot past Angelo Peruzzi in the home goal.

The match had appeared to be heading towards a goalless draw which would have been of little use to either side in their bid to reach the knock-out stage of the competition.

But the young Englishman's strike rekindled Leeds' hopes of progressing and leaves Lazio bottom of the group and facing a mammoth task if they are to reach the last eight.

Jonathan Woodgate was outstanding at the heart of a rock solid defence and they dominated the last 20 minutes with a series of patient moves in and around the Lazio box.

David O'Leary's men made the brighter start and created two early chances.

Smith and Woodgate were inches away from connecting with a dangerous freekick from the right in the eighth minute and Norwegian midfielder Eirik Bakke had a header cleared off the line by Attilio Lombardo in the 16th.

LAZIO FIND STRIDE

But Lazio then found their stride and almost opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Argentine striker Hernan Crespo hooked a corner kick from his compatriot Juan Veron into the side netting.

Two minutes later another fizzing, in-swinging Veron corner found right-back Giuseppe Pancaro at the back post but his reflex header from no more than a metre out thundered off the crossbar.

Pavel Nedved created problems for Leeds by switching from wing to wing and his cross in the 27th minute almost reached Marcelo Salas inside the six-yard box before Woodgate, back pedalling fast, headed the ball clear.

Ten minutes later Salas beat Robinson with a subtle diving header at the back post but Woodgate was there again to clear the ball off the line and deny the Chilean.

Only in injury time did Leeds again threaten when Viduka turned Alessandro Nesta inside the box and crossed for Bowyer, who stormed in at the back post but failed to direct his shot.

The second half was less eventful although Viduka forced a fine reflex save from Peruzzi in the 66th minute before Smith struck to give Leeds one of the finest wins in their European history.