Leeds United treated a larger than usual Elland Road crowd to a good footballing display and a much needed win over fast-fading Blackpool who started life under their third manager of the season a Paul Ince with a defeat.

The gate was boosted to over 25,000 by the lure of cheap tickets and I am sure the majority of those who took up this promotion would have been pleasantly surprised by the attacking and competent display by Neil Warnock's side when they might have gone along expecting Hoofball and defensive chaos.

Leeds started the brighter and saw the lively Varney pull an early chance wide. Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks then did well to deny McCormack and the Scottish striker was unlucky not to get on the end of a Morison delivery following a surging run by the ex Norwich striker.

It was impossible to face this fixture without recalling our last encounter with the Seasiders at Elland Road a year last November when a horror first-half show by ex Blackpool goalkeeper Paul Rachubka saw the visitors storm to a 3-0 lead at half-time eventually running out 5-0 winners. Really there could have been no complaints if Leeds had racked up a similar midway advantage.

Blackpool did pose a threat on the counter attack, much of it instigated by the dribbling of Thomas Ince, who unlike the Warnock junior in the Leeds side is most certainly related to the Blackpool manager and the home fans certainly made young Tom aware of this by airing the "Father and Son" chant usually reserved for Messers Clough and Schmeichel which is anything but Cat Stephens.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher did have the ball in the net at the Kop End before half-time but this was ruled out for offside.

Despite the officials getting that decision correct, referee Carl Boyeson was increasingly coming under-fire from the home fans including the most blatant back-pass seen on this ground for 21years when Chris Whyte et al founded a successful title-challenge on knocking the ball back to John Lukic.

Although under-fire Leeds boss Neil Warnock was clearly enraged by Boyeson's dubious decision making, deep down he must have been relieved to see that the fans who have been on his back of late had a new scapegoat to turn on if things turned ugly.

Luckily they didn't. On 57 minutes, when many of us feared Blackpool's sweeping counter-attacking may punish our wastefulness in front of goal David Norris marked a rare start in the Leeds midfield with an excellent strike from just inside the box after the visitors failed to deal with a McCormack corner. Norris had a double reason to celebrate as he was also making his 400th professional appearance.

Blackpool responded and may well have equalised had Taylor-Fletcher connected with a probing cross from the left. On 63 minutes, we doubled our advantage, Byram crossed from the right and with McCormack ready to pounce a Blackpool defender swept the ball from the Scot's toes but into the path of the lurking Steve Morison who marked his home debut with a clinical finish.

So momentarily the feel good factor returned to Elland Road. Neil Warnock now must try and resist tinkering with the side and try and rally his troops to put in another shift with a similar level of workrate and spirit as Leeds head to one of Ince's old haunts Blackburn on Saturday afternoon.

Photo: Action Images

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