Defender Caldwell popped up with a header after just 84 seconds of an anxiety-riddled clash at Ewood Park, before Viduka drove home his sixth goal in his last seven games just two minutes from time.

The three points were Leeds’ first on the road since November 29 – Blackburn are without a home win since that date – and gave the Whites back-to-back victories for the first time this campaign.

The result was not quite enough to lift Leeds out of the bottom three, but they find themselves level on points with both Portsmouth and Blackburn, the latter with just one win in their last eight games.

For Caldwell, who rose at the far post to nod past the despairing reach of goalkeeper Brad Friedel Gary Kelly’s cross from the right wing, it was his first goal since joining United at the end of January on a season-long loan-deal from Newcastle, and his first since scoring for the Magpies in a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in November 2002.

Away from home Leeds have often proved brittle soon after they have scored, but they can thank referee Steve Dunn for denying Blackburn the opportunity to draw level inside three minutes.

Michael Duberry became embroiled in the area with Jonathan Stead, the striker tumbling to the ground following what appeared to be a shirt tug, only for Dunn to wave away the vociferous appeals.

Although Blackburn then tried to take the game to Leeds, it was the visitors who came closest to adding to their slender tally during a tense, nervous half, with the clearest opportunity falling to Alan Smith in the ninth minute.

Smith latched onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Paul Robinson before unleashing a dipping 25-yard half-volley which Friedel brilliantly pushed over from underneath his own bar.

What followed for the remainder of the half came as little surprise for both defences, whenever pushed, looked brittle and likely to crack at any stage.

Quite simply, Blackburn lacked the ingenuity to make any kind of breakthrough, with the best of their chances two opportunistic strikes from Jonathan Stead, both of which were at Robinson.

Leeds looked dangerous on the counter, but like Rovers the final ball was continually missing as passes went astray or a timely tackle was made to break up the threat posed.

The nerves on the pitch were evident as both sides realised the importance of the game, and just what the result would mean, and it was Leeds who then had the chances to put the game beyond Rovers’ reach after the break.

Gray had been forced into a change just before they materialised, with Seth Johnson taken off on a stretcher following an innocuous incident in the centre circle just before the hour mark, resulting in the appearance of Eirik Bakke after six weeks out with a thigh injury.

Gray should then have watched his side clinch the three points for in the 58th minute, Smith picked up a loose ball and made a bee-line for the box, but despite James Milner all alone to his left, he chose to go it alone.

It was unusually greedy for Smith, and his delay in eventually laying the ball off cost the Whites for although Milner’s crashing drive had Friedel beaten, it struck the bar.

That missed opportunity appeared to wake Rovers from their lethargy and they proceeded to have their best period of the game in the minutes which followed.

Leeds were forced into panic defending, with Robinson making three smothering saves inside his six-yard box as the ball pinged around the area.

But again it was Leeds who spurned what could have been a game-turning moment for in the 66th minute Viduka managed to get the better of a tussle with Lorenzo Amoruso.

Although forced wide, the Australia international beat Friedel with an angled sidefoot shot, but also the left-hand post by inches.

Leeds then looked comfortable until slipshod defending allowed Andy Cole to crack in a superb shot which led to Robinson making his one and only save of the game as he palmed it away to his right.

A few minutes later the win was clinched as Jermaine Pennant broke down the right and crossed into the six-yard box where a Smith back-flick teed up Viduka to ram the ball into the roof of the net.

Still there was drama, with Craig Short heading home a Paul Gallagher free-kick in the third minute of injury time, but it was too little too late for the free-falling Rovers.