UNITED 1 (De Vries 90), YEOVIL 0
United: Ankergren, Richardson, Marques, Heath, Clapham, Prutton (Flo 76), Douglas, Hughes (Westlake 85), Carole (De Vries 76), Beckford, Kandol. Subs: Huntington, Westlake, Da Costa.
Yeovil: Larrieu, Lynch, Guyett, Forbes, Nathan Jones, Betsy, Barry, Rose, Warne (Domoraud 90), Owusu, Stewart. Subs: R Jones, Gillett, Alcock, Ujah, Domoraud.
Referee: A Taylor
Booked: Lynch, N Jones (Yeovil), Heath, Hughes (United).
Att: 27,808
For post-match reaction and highlights from Sunday...
Dennis Wise welcomed striker pairing Jermaine Beckford and Tresor Kandol back to the starting line up as United went in search of a ninth win of the campaign.
It was Yeovil's first ever visit to Elland Road, and the visitors looked undaunted in the surrounds as they made a bright start to what was shaping up to be an entertaining contest.
It was an open game, and United goalkeeper Casper Ankergren made the first save after 19 minutes when he spread himself well to deny Anthony Barry after a quick break by Yeovil.
Five minutes later, Seb Carole lifted a shot over the bar after good build-up play involving Jonathan Douglas, Andrew Hughes, and Beckford.
The early promise of the game faded before the half-hour, though, as the clash became a stop-start affair with neither side finding any real fluency.
Jamie Clapham had a shot blocked from distance and, at the other end, Ankergren made another good save, this time turning a Paul Warne shot around the post.
But there was little else to excite the sizeable crowd as the game meandered towards half-time.
The first attempt of the second period came courtesy of Beckford, who tried his luck with an effort from distance.
Hughes also had a shot blocked, and Clapham fired a first-time effort wide of the mark as United, with Carole playing behind the front two and Douglas pulling the strings behind him, looked to up the tempo.
Wise's men slowly started to take a grip on the contest, but Yeovil were robust at the back and defended solidly in numbers while looking to hit Leeds on the break.
Hughes - backed by the noise of the South Stand - screamed for a penalty for a handall on 67 minutes and on 74 minutes Marcus Stewart wasted a great chance for Yeovil, following a good cross from Kevin Betsy.
As the clock ticked down, Wise made a double substitution with Tore Andre Flo replacing Dave Prutton, and Mark De Vries making his home debut in place of Carole. Wise also changed his formation again to go for broke with three up-front, and Flo operating just behind.
It was a bold statement of intent, and Tresor Kandol went close within minutes when Romain Larrieu got down well to keep out a header.
With five minutes remaining, Ian Westlake, hero of the midweek win at Oldham, replaced Hughes as United looked to finish with a flourish.
Yeovil goalkeeper Larrieu was called upon to make a good save when Douglas swung a free-kick towards the far post and Mark Lynch did well to shepherd De Vries out of play.
It was backs against the wall stuff for defiant Yeovil now and Frazer Richardson was next to have a go when he fired over the top from distance.
But, just when Yeovil thought they were home and dry, that last-minute spirit raised its head again as United took the lead.
Douglas sent in a free-kick from the left and De Vries rose at the far post to head home his first goal for the club.
It was enough to secure United's ninth win from 10 games and narrow the gap on the Play-Off places.
