CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Leeds v Sunderland 02/11/96 3.00

Leeds                   (1) 3 Sunderland              (0) 0 FT
Ford 27                       
Sharpe 62                     
Deane 68

A Mexican wave, surely of relief, swept round Elland Road to celebrate only the second Premiership success of George Graham's reign which removed the danger of the 1992 champions joining 1995's, Blackburn, in the relegation zone.

But the margin, Leeds' biggest since Howard Wilkinson's side hammered Ipswich 4-0 18 months ago, was harsh on Sunderland who could have had the game well won before Leeds took control.

But England Under-21 Mark Ford's first for the Yorkshiremen, in his 37th appearance, was followed in the second half by comeback striker Brian Deane's first of the season and Lee Sharpe's third to put a deceptive gloss on the result.

Leeds fans have had little to celebrate of late, just four previous home league wins in 1996, and after six defeats in Grahams's first nine games they will seize on this as welcome and timely encouragement.

But it could so easily have gone the other way. Leeds were two down after just five minutes at Graham's former Arsenal fiefdom last week, and it should have been another disastrous start when Gareth Hall planted a 30-second cross onto the head of the unmarked David Kelly.

He headed over the bar and older Sunderland fans, who have not seen their side win at Elland Road in 17 games over the last 36 years, feared the worst.

But a side that has struggled for goals this season five in their last nine games should have enjoyed a prosperous afternoon against the home defence barely bolstered by the return of David Wetherall.

Nigel Martyn managed to spill a David Kelly effort round the post and was even more relieved when David Wetherall's poor control let in Kevin Ball behind, only for the Sunderland skipper to blaze badly wide from 18 yards.

Ball then sharpened up with a superb left-foot shot on the turn in the 26th minute that Martyn clawed down at full stretch, and managed to retrieve off the toe of David Kelly as he followed up.

But concentration is vital at this level and the visitors let theirs drop for a fatal second as Rod Wallace hared down the other end and crossed from the right for little 21-year-old Pontefract-born Ford to nip in and glance the ball inside the far post.

Paul Stewart dipped a response just over the bar, but the goal gave Leeds with Lee Bowyer and Wallace back as well confidence which blossomed in the second period.

The lanky Deane, recovered from a groin injury, loped clear onto Wallace's header in the 62nd minute and though Perez came out to block, the ball rebounded to Sharpe for the former Manchester United winger to repay another slice of his £4.5million summer fee.

And six minutes later Sunderland's fourth consecutive away defeat was confirmed when Deane opened his seasonal account with an acrobatic leap to flick Bowyer's header past Perez from just five yards, with Sunderland looking in vain for an offside flag.

Sunderland desperately need a sharper cutting edge. But ironically Ian Rush, the man they tried to sign before he chose Yorkshire, notched up a personal worst with his 13th consecutive scoreless games for Leeds.