Leeds United would happily turn back the clock to the festive period, seeing that their form in the interim has been generally disappointing, but after just four victories in 16 games since December 22, here was a result and a performance to warm the cockles.

United's best display under Gary McAllister lifted them to eighth in the table, two points outside the play-offs, and prompted the manager to enthuse: "We've sent out a message".

The scoreline was a poor reflection of United's dominance. On another day, Walsall could have suffered the proverbial good hiding.

Although there is room for improvement in United's finishing, some of their attacking work was excellent and this was the best possible tonic for McAllister and his men at the start of a quintet of fixtures against teams in the upper reaches of League One.

Striker Jermaine Beckford fired Leeds in front on 29 minutes, rounding goalkeeper Clayton Ince after latching on to a through ball by Neil Kilkenny and sliding home from a tight angle.

Beckford applied the coup de grace 10 minutes from time, once more seizing on a Kilkenny pass and dinking the ball over the on-rushing Ince to register his 19th goal of the season.

It took Walsall all of 53 minutes to muster an effort on goal, Lee Holmes curling a 20-yard free-kick just past Casper Ankergren's right-hand post, but the visitors should have equalised moments later when Tommy Mooney blazed over in embarrassing style from five yards.

McAllister, whose side hit back well following poor results against Cheltenham Town and Port Vale, paid tribute to strikers Beckford and Dougie Freedman and also the resilience of United's defending.

"We held a much stronger line than we did at Port Vale last week, when we conceded three goals," he said. "I felt the two centre-halves headed more balls in the 90 minutes here than they have in the seven or eight games since I've been back at the club.

"Walsall tried to frustrate us by sticking men behind the ball, but I thought some of the positions our two forwards got into were superb. I don't know whether any defence could have coped with that, certainly not in this division."

Leeds began with a vitality entirely out of keeping with the inclement weather. There were early opportunities for Beckford and David Prutton as efforts rained in on the Walsall goal.

A satisfying day was capped when influential midfielder Jonathan Douglas came on for the last eight minutes after three months out with a knee injury.

"I'm sure Jonathan will have a big part to play between now and the end of the season," added McAllister. "He's been champing at the bit for some time now."

The only downside would have been the attendance; only 19,095 witnessed this uplifting Easter message, Leeds's lowest home league gate of the season.


Leeds United: Ankergren; Kenton, Marques, Michalik, Sheehan; Prutton, Howson, Kilkenny, Johnson (Douglas 82); Freedman (Kandol 90), Beckford. Unused substitutes: Lucas, Richardson, Elding.

Walsall: Ince; Weston, Gerrard, Roper, Boertien; Betsy, Sonko, Wrack (Bradley 63), Dobson, Holmes; Mooney (Moore 79). Unused substitutes: Bossu, N'Dour, Nicholls.

Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).

Leeds man of the match: Jermaine Beckford.