THE orange-coated steward groaned as he perused the team sheet a few minutes before kick-off. “I see the donkey’s playing up front again,” he grunted, and no doubt his opinion was shared by the majority of the crowd streaming into Elland Road.

It is fair to say that up to 3.13pm yesterday, big Brian Deane’s second spell leading the line for his hometown club had not been going well. One League goal in 13 starts cannot have been the return he had hoped for, but it is a fact that at Championship level, every donkey — oh alright, big, awkward old-fashioned British centre-forward — can still have his day, and yesterday was Deane’s.

The crowd was still settling when QPR went ahead. Receiving the ball from Kevin Gallen, Gareth Ainsworth skipped past Danny Pugh and from just outside the Leeds penalty area hit a fine right-footed drive into the top left-hand corner of Neil Sullivan’s goal.

The Leeds response was as immediate as it was impressive. Deane back-headed Gary Kelly’s long ball into the penalty area, and without breaking stride, David Healy clipped his shot over the stranded Rangers keeper Chris Day and into the net — a piece of finishing that would have graced the Champions League, let alone the Premiership.

A few minutes later Deane struck for the first time. Simon Walton, swapping wings with John Oster, back-heeled a pass into space for the pacy Jermaine Wright to drive into the Rangers penalty area and hit a perfect low cross for Deane, waiting two yards out to sidefoot into an empty net.

The 36-year-old had the ball in the net again moments later when Day failed to hold a shot by Oster, only to be flagged offside. It didn’t matter; he played a central role in United’s third, George Santos heading a ball sent into the box by Deane backwards across his own goalmouth.

It fell for the unmarked Wright to sidefoot goalwards, but although Day made a smart one-handed stop, by now everything was falling for Leeds and Wright followed up to score with ease.

Rangers were in disarray, and three minutes before half-time, Wright again charged into the right side of the Rangers area, again crossed low, and again Deane got in front of a marker — Marcus Bignot this time — to turn it in.

Incredibly, there was time for a fifth before half-time. Kelly crossed, from the right of course, two Rangers defenders missed it — including the hapless Bignot — and Deane, who by now must have been operating in some sort of dream, chested the ball down and drove it beyond Day.

Watching in disgust, Ian Holloway, the Rangers manager, immediately used the two substitutions remaining to him, and for a short period the game lapsed into mundanity, United contenting themselves with banging long balls forward instead of working Wright, Oster and Walton into space down the flanks.

It didn’t last long, and just after the hour Leeds should have made it six when Marcus Bean was judged to have tripped Walton in the area — he didn’t touch him — only for Day to make a fine save from Healy.

But there was always Deane; another Wright cross from the right, another lousy Rangers attempt to head clear, this time by Danny Shittu, and the big man steered another header beyond Day. “Deano for England,” they chanted, shamelessly. Coming at the end of another difficult week off the field for Leeds, this was a win the club needed; that it was achieved in style says something about manager Kevin Blackwell’s ability to keep the minds of his players concentrating on matters they can affect.

“It was the build-up play as much as the goals which pleased me,” said Blackwell, before praising Deane. “I bought him to set an example of professionalism to the younger players, and I hope some of his attitude rubs off on them. He deserved today.”

STAR MAN: Brian Deane (Leeds United)

Player ratings. Leeds United: Sullivan 6; Kelly 7, Carlisle 7, Butler 7, Pugh 7, Oster 7, Wright 8, Gregan 7, Walton 7 (Richardson 90min, 5), Deane 9 (Lennon 86min, 6), Healy 8 (Joachim 77min, 6)

Queens Park Rangers: Day 5; Rose 4 (Padula 11min, 4), Santos 3, Shittu 4, Bignot 3; McLeod 4 (Cook 45min, 4), Gallen 4, Bircham 4, Ainsworth 5, Furlong 4, Cureton 4 (Bean 45min, 4)

Referee: C Webster

Attendance: 29,739

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