Terry Venebles thought that he had the magic touch with his return to the Riverside. But the dismismissal of Garety Southgate's late equaliser took the shine off the return.

Alan Smith was shown a red card, for two bookable offences, and this proved the turning point in a game of contrasting fortunes as his 10 Leeds team-mates failed to hold out against a determined thrust by Middlesbrough. In the end it was a draw: 2 - 2.

The match ended with controversy after Middlesbrough's Franck Queudrue was also shown a red-card following a scuffle on the pitch. This involved several players after George Boateng appeared to spit at an opponent.

Leeds were ahead for much of the game thanks to a penalty by Mark Viduka and Lee Bowyer's strike. However, Middlesbrough were rewarded for having enjoyed greater possession when first Joseph-Desire Job and then Southgate struck equalisers.

This was a day of returns to Middlesbrough; the North Korea side of 1966 for a start, coming back to the place where they wrote their name in football folklore by beating the mighty Italy in the World Cup.

It was a return for Venables too. This was the place where he carried out a rescue operation two seasons ago to save Boro from relegation.

Middlesbrough had the first chance in the second minute - and a very good one too. Leeds looked nervous as Queudrue bent in a corner, the ball dropped to Southgate 10 yards out but his shot was very poor, blasting it high over the bar.

Leeds replied through Harry Kewell who drilled in a low free-kick from the right of the penalty area but straight at Mark Schwarzer.

Geremi and Stuart Parnaby combined on the right and the 20-year-old debutant put in a perfect floated cross but none of the Middlesbrough forwards attacked the ball and the opportunity disappeared.

In the 10th minute, Viduka was tripped by Ugo Ehiogu, referee Rob Styles pointed to the spot and the Australian striker took the penalty himself to put Leeds 1-0 up.

A forceful passing move by Middlesbrough involving Boateng, Queudrue and Massimo Maccarone saw Job presented with the ball in space 20 yards out but he placed his driven shot a couple of yards wide of the top corner. After 25 minutes, Middlesbrough's continuous pressure earned the home side a deserved equaliser as Leeds struggled to match them in midfield.

It could have been 2-1 when Boateng skipped past Teddy Lucic and whipped in a cross with pace but Job got his direction all wrong on a powerful header, putting it yards wide.

Paul Robinson came to Leeds rescue early in the second half. Queudrue's chipped pass found Job who looped a header goalwards forcing Robinson to tip over the bar.

After Geremi had tested Robinson again from a free-kick - shooting straight at the Leeds keeper - Lucic did well to take the ball off Maccarone's head.

There were howls from the crowd when Geremi went down in the box under Harry Kewell's challenge but this time Styles awarded a goal-kick rather than a penalty.

Having been forced to play second fiddle for so long, Leeds then stunned the full house at the Riverside by taking the lead for a second time in the 56th minute.

Kewell was the architect, driving purposefully into the Middlesbrough area then thumping in a shot which Schwarzer did superbly to block only for Bowyer to tuck in the rebound.

Suddenly it was Leeds who were on top and Viduka's powerful header from a corner was well-held by Schwarzer. There was more frustration for Middlesbrough when Maccarone and Boksic both missed Geremi's dangerous cross and it was no surprise when Steve McClaren sent on Szilard Nemeth in place of the Croatian.

A real peach of a free-kick by Geremi, curled from the left of the box, cannoned back off the angle of post and bar and once more Boro were frustrated.

Queudrue sent a left-footed free-kick wide then Schwarzer's fingertips denied Kewell a goal after the Australian had climbed above Parnaby at the back post.

Smith then received his marching orders for a second yellow card after catching Southgate late, leaving Leeds with 14 minutes left to survive.

With six minutes left the Leeds defence went to sleep as Geremi whipped in a low corner and Southgate swooped to finish from close range and level the scores again.

In injury-time, Queudrue followed Smith for an early bath, also for a second caution.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.