Leeds cash in but Beckford alerts the scouts

Leeds agreed to switch this fixture to a Monday night to cash in on Sky TV having nothing better to broadcast. It meant much-needed money in the bank — £75,000 — but also rival scouts and managers in the stand.

With nothing else to distract them, the likes of Celtic boss Gordon Strachan and Derby manager Paul Jewell — monitoring top scorer Jermaine Beckford's progress — were out in force to sniff out a transfer window bargain.

Again it was bitter-sweet for the travelling masses when Beckford scored his 16th goal of the season nine minutes before half time.

Debutant Peter Sweeney delivered a wicked cross from the left, which Crewe keeper Ben Williams came for, but Beckford beat him to it and headed home. Jewell remained, for now, unmoved.

Dennis Wise, his January shopping reportedly complete after recruiting Neil Kilkenny, Seb Sorsa, Bradley Johnson and Sweeney plus Darren Kenton on loan, needed a victory after his side took only one point from three festive fixtures. Leeds are now back on track.

This season points are much more important to Leeds than pounds — even to chairman Ken Bates. United will forego another £75,000 fee from Sky by refusing to play Southend two days after a fixture at Luton later this month, but that's a small price to pay for promotion back to the Coca-Cola Championship.

The club remain obsessed with their perceived unjust punishment. They have released a DVD titled 15 which charts the remarkable first 15 games of this season, which saw Wise's men wipe out the deficit in just five games.

But at least the supporters, who packed two sides of Gresty Road to capacity are looking upwards rather than backwards. Last night, they chorused: '15 points, who gives a f***? We're super Leeds and we're going up.'

It will be the sweetest feeling to their supporters if they do and be a bitter disappointment if they don't.

And Crewe showed they were not surrendering lightly in the second half and Chris McCready headed against the bar on 70 minutes.