COMEBACK kid Michael Bridges put a near two-year nightmare behind him to set up Leeds United's slender 1-0 victory over Ukrainian minnows Metalurg Zaporizhia.

The 24-year-old striker sprang from the bench for his first competitive game for 23 months to lay on Alan Smith's precious 80th-minute goal.

Leeds had endured a frustrating night as Zaporizhia virtually pulled all their men behind the ball, but substitute Bridges' arrival for the ineffective Mark Viduka came as Leeds were getting up a full head of steam.

With time drifting away, he chased a rather aimless ball by Gary Kelly down the inside right channel and muscled sweeper Oleg Raty off the ball and cut it back for Smith to roll in a simple goal.

"It was a big game for him tonight," said Leeds boss Terry Venables of Bridges.

"I thought he did really well. There must have been times when he was very, very low in the last few years. I am pleased for him."

Less delighted was Zaporizhia's acting head coach Oleg Lutkov, who believed Bridges had fouled Raty in the build-up to the goal - and it was hard to disagree with his view.

Lutkov's ultra-defensive tactics looked like paying off as they battled stoutly, particularly in the second half when Leeds began to move the ball about much quicker than they had in a sterile opening 45 minutes.

Early on United wanted too many touches on the ball and Zaporizhia were able to shut down the spaces fairly comfortably. The visitors always looked suspect to crosses, but the problem for Leeds was that their delivery in to the box was simply not good enough.

The tempo picked up after the break as Leeds finally began to force the issue with more aggression, but were continually held up by time-wasting tactics.

Although they were hardly flowing, Leeds at least were attacking with more fire and goalkeeper Andriy Gluschenko thrust out his left hand to prevent a Smith header from arrowing in to the top corner.

Some of skipper Gluschenko's saves were unorthodox but effective as he denied Ian Harte and Harry Kewell in quick succession, then Harte went close with a trademark free-kick and substitute Stephen McPhail teased the best cross of the night on to the head of Eirik Bakke but the Norwegian's effort was blocked.

The pressure and the chances mounted and Metalurg's armour was finally dented with ten minutes remaining.

United continued to force the pace after the goal and it needed a spectacular save by Gluschenko to tip over a blistering volley from Lucas Radebe from United's 16th - and final - corner of the night in injury time.

United now face a trip in to the unknown in 13 days' time as Leeds were given no clue as to Zaporizhia's attacking strength.

Lutkov promised Leeds a completely different game in Ukraine but United's clean sheet means an away goal should strengthen the Elland Road side's grip on the tie.

"We have a bit to do," admitted Venables, looking ahead to the return leg at Dnepropetrovsk's Meteor Stadium, situated 50 miles from Zaporizhia, whose own ground has been deemed unfit by UEFA to host European football.

MATCH FACTS:

Leeds United 1,

Metalurg Zaporizhia 0

UEFA Cup 1st rd 1st leg

(at Elland Road)

Leeds United: Robinson, Kelly, Radebe, Woodgate, Harte, Bowyer, Bakke, Dacourt (McPhail 65min), Kewell, Smith, Viduka (Bridges 65).

Subs not used: Martyn, Mills, Okon, Burns, McMaster.

Booked: Dacourt.

Goal: Smith 80.

Metalurg Zaporizhia: Glushchenko, Valuta, Dodic, Raty, Visevic, Klyuchyk, Vasconcelos, Milosavijevic, Akopian, Smirnov (Zayats 90), Modebadze (Brdanin 59 - Rodri 90).

Subs not used: Zolva, Hansen, Lapko, Savinov.

Booked: Gluschenko, Visevic.

Referee: Mikko Vuorela (Finland)

Attendance: 30,000.

Updated: 11:46 Friday, September 20, 2002