Standout strikes from Liam Cooper and Souleymane Doukara have helped to give Leeds United something to smile about as a potential transfer embargo looms, with Elland Road playing host to a comfortable 3-1 victory against travelling Blackpool in the Championship this afternoon.
United's Doukara shone brightly in the opening minutes of the game and he also carved out a promising chance when he fed in Mirco Antenucci, who shot tamely straight at Joe Lewis.
The hosts continued to dominate in the early stages and they soon went ahead thanks to some wonderful precision from Cooper, who rifled his shot from distance into the top right corner.
United's stature in the game continued to show and they would have been two up inside 15 minutes had it not been for Antenucci's inefficiency, with the striker dragging his effort wide of the post from the centre of goal.
In a half of few clear-cut chances, it was Leeds who evidently had their shooting boots on, this time as Doukara extended his side's lead in the 32nd minute with a fine shot low into the bottom left corner.
Leeds secured another goal just before the break, as Antenucci finally found the target with another shot from distance, which settled into the bottom right-hand corner to leave the hosts 3-0 ahead at half time.
Blackpool arguably started the brightest in the second half as youngster Jacob Murphy found space to deliver a teasing cross for Nile Ranger, but the former Newcastle United striker guided his header the wrong side of the right post.
If there were any nerves in the United camp going into the final 20 minutes, Ranger was to put them to the test as the frontman bagged a route back into the game for Blackpool after he tapped home from six yards following Murphy's cross.
However, United held on to withstand a late surge from the visitors, as Ishmael Miller went close in the final few minutes with a strike that whistled agonisingly wide of the keeper's post, allowing Leeds to move up into 15th spot in the table.
Christopher Dodd
