The veneration of Terry Venables continues apace. Middlesbrough remain in the bottom three, but five matches since taking control of his emergency coaching assignment, Venables' stock is so high that there is a sense of a dirty job moving steadily towards completion.

Leeds United - the inferior Premiership version, not the top-of-the-range Champions League model - became the latest team to falter against a Middlesbrough side that stretched its unbeaten run under Venables to five games.

In that time, Middlesbrough have conceded only two goals: a bizarre own goal from Noel Whelan, and yesterday a debatable penalty which allowed Robbie Keane to notch his first Leeds goal since his loan switch from Italy.

Middlesbrough, unyielding and disciplined, represented an awkward test for a Leeds side struggling for Premiership fluency.

David O'Leary's concession that Leeds had made little use of abundant possession echoed Liverpool's failure against Venables' side a week earlier.

The penalty was debatable: A deflection off Curtis Fleming's knee and arm which turned Mark Viduka's nondescript flick into a Leeds get-out clause.

Keane's penalty sent Mark Schwarzer the wrong way and the Irish international cartwheeled with relief.

Leeds' stuttering form had caused O'Leary to consign both Alan Smith and Jonathan Woodgate to the bench. Woodgate's absence cleared the way for the return of Lucas Radebe in central defence.

Although the South African has embodied the spirit that has carried Leeds through a heady year, he nevertheless had an uneasy return.

Impatience was welling around Elland Road as Leeds' persistent early pressure produced only one shot on goal. After 26 minutes, the mood became darker: Middlesbrough scored.

The Leeds defence was caught square as Alen Boksic span away from Radebe on the halfway line, and had an embarrassing amount of time to slip a pass from Paul Okon past Paul Robinson.

On this evidence, the Ferdinand-Radebe partnership was as lacking in understanding as had been Woodgate and Ferdinand. Ferdinand's poise on the ball cannot fail to impress, but his organisational skills remain at issue.

If the intention is that Ferdinand bosses the Leeds defence, then he needs to boss it with more conviction; £18 million sterling is an awful lot of money for a crisis of confidence.

O'Leary's half-time response was to switch Lee Bowyer into central midfield, where his direct approach finally challenged Middlesbrough's defensive stability.

With Gary Kelly and Dominic Matteo also given licence to push forward, Leeds were purposeful where they had previously been uncertain.

Bowyer, typically, was at the heart of it, although there remains an unappealing side to his game. Booked in the first half for a foul on Hamilton Ricard, he twice cursed at his failure to tempt Mr Elleray into awarding further penalties for challenges from Gianluca Festa and Dean Gordon.

Middlesbrough's sole attacking contribution had been Boksic's goal, itself testimony to Venables' shrewdness after he had withdrawn him midway through the vital relegation clash with Coventry two days earlier to spare his legs.

With time running out, Middlesbrough had two chances to steal the match. Boksic shot straight at Robinson and then Phil Stamp, entirely free on the right of the Leeds area, missed a glorious opportunity.

Venables was left unhappy with the penalty award that salvaged a point for Leeds. "Before the game we would have been happy with a draw because it's a difficult game here and Leeds are currently a team trying to get back on track.

"But after playing here now, I am bitterly disappointed. That was not a penalty and decisions like that are disappointing."

O'Leary, however, believed the three points should have been taken by his side. "I heard Terry's thoughts and I cannot believe what he said. They had two attacks and they scored from one.

"I thought we dominated the game without doing a great deal with the ball in the final third. But we got the penalty. It was a dubious penalty, although the ball definitely hit his (Fleming's) hand.

"It was the decisions afterwards which surprised me though. There was one on Lee Bowyer and I could not believe that was not a penalty. May be I am getting this game totally wrong because Terry says his side deserved to win this game. It's beyond me."

Leeds: Robinson, Kelly, Radebe, Ferdinand, Matteo, Bowyer, Dacourt, Batty, Wilcox, Keane (Smith 75), Viduka. Subs Not Used: Martyn, Harte, Woodgate, Burns. Booked: Bowyer, Dacourt. Goals: Keane 55 pen.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Ehiogu, Festa, Vickers, Fleming, Mustoe, Okon, Karembeu (Stamp 66), Gordon, Boksic (Deane 90), Ricard (Whelan 81). Subs Not Used: Crossley, Hudson. Booked: Gordon, Okon, Ricard. Goals: Boksic 27.

Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).