LEEDS UNITED 1 IPSWICH TOWN 2
James Scowcroft and Jermaine Wright proved the unlikely heroes as George Burley's men outfought, and ultimately outhought, a Leeds side still reeling from a long injury list and an abject loss in form.
All the talk before the game was of a post-European hangover at Elland Road and that was indeed the case, but anyone expecting the newly-promoted visitors to dish out the Alka-Seltzers was sorely mistaken.
Instead, George Burley's men came and raided the medicine cabinet to leave David O'Leary's men feeling positively sick after their third defeat in a row and their second home Premiership loss to this season's Premiership newcomers.
As is often the case with a hangover, Leeds woke with a start and looked spritely as they took the lead through Lee Bowyer but, slowly, things started to blur and a haze of Blue shirts hustling and bustling after everything soon had Elland Road spinning.
Arguably the biggest headache of the week in West Yorkshire belonged to Lucas Radebe following his concussion against Barcelona, and it was the skipper's absence that contributed most to Leeds' latest downfall.
The unfamiliar central defensive pairing of Danny Mills and Michael Duberry may have cost £9 million, but the commodity of hard work and willingness showed by Scowcroft and Marcus Stewart was the telling currency on the day.
Leeds' own front pairing of Michael Bridges and Alan Smith were awash with touch and tenacity respectively, but they needed Bowyer to provide the cutting edge again.
Olivier Dacourt slipped the ball out to Gary Kelly on the right and, as the full-back's low cross crept through a crowded area, Bowyer reacted first to sweep home his third goal of the season with a low effort to Richard Wright's left.
Bridges could have aided the recovery even further had he not poked straight at Wright four minutes later, but on 12 minutes, an Ipswich equaliser had Leeds holding their heads in their hands again.
Jamie Clapham was given enough space on the left to whip a typically dangerous centre in and, although Stewart's ambitious volley did not connect properly, it did send the ball spinning in the air and Scowcroft was able to plant a diving header inside the far post with Mills and Duberry nowhere.
The scorer and his willing sidekick continued to pull the Leeds defence all over, and Stewart should have put Town ahead just prior to the break as he ghosted away from his marker, but could only guide John McGreal's cross wide of the far post.
But, two minutes after the break, Ipswich got their reward for a spirited display when Wright proved more accurate after a slick one-two with Stewart cut through the centre of the Leeds backline and allowed the 24-year-old to slide a neat finish beyond Martyn.
Stewart then tested Martyn with a curling effort from the edge of the box, but the anticipated Leeds recovery never managed to haul itself out from under the sheets.
An intricate, yet all too isolated, run from Darren Huckerby saw him beat two men but stab a weak finish at Wright, while Bridges choose to shoot from a tight angle with Smith screaming for the ball to be squared.
The young striker's frustration seemed to spread to the home supporters and as their anxiety grew, so did Ipswich's stature - and chances of breaking their away-day duck for the season.
The calming influence of Jim Magilton almost provided a third as his deep cross again eluded Duberry and Mills, but Matt Holland's diving header was not as precise as Scowcroft's, and Martyn was able prevent even more misery with a smart save.
However, Leeds were unable to get an equaliser and Town held out for the win, which was greeted by a chorus of disappointed boos by the Elland Road crowd.
Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Harte, Duberry, Mills, Bowyer, Dacourt, McPhail, Smith, Bridges, Huckerby. Subs: Robinson, Jones, Hay, Burns, Hackworth.
Ipswich: R. Wright, Wilnis, Clapham, McGreal, Magilton, Holland, J. Wright, Stewart, Scowcroft, Bramble, Hreidarsson. Subs: Johnson, Salmon, Scales, Croft, Reuser.
Ref: M Halsey
