WINS are no longer celebrated with champagne in the Elland Road boardroom, after Ken Bates wisely decided that the money might be better used by the groundsman, but no doubt a pint or two of something less effete was raised to Rob Hulse last night. Two cracking second-half strikes on his debut by the young striker, signed on loan from West Brom, gave Leeds a win that suggested the chances of the club’s new chairman overseeing a return to the Premiership are better than even he might have anticipated.

It took both sides time to adjust to a strong and swirling wind, but once it sunk in that crisp passes played on the ground had a good chance of reaching their intended recipient, the football became open and attractive. Much of it was played by Reading, whose speed on the break enabled them to regularly out-flank Leeds’s three-man midfield, and Andy Hughes, Steve Sidwell and Les Ferdinand all had early shots.

Leeds gradually built a momentum of their own. Gylfi Einarsson’s intelligent pass created a chance for David Healy that the Irishman curled wide. They came within a fingertip of going ahead when Hulse got his head to Gary Kelly’s curling cross, but Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann dived across his goal to touch the ball on to the bar.

The American was equally quick to react when a mistake by Ivar Ingimarsson allowed Healy to break clear in the penalty area, but ten minutes before half-time, another defensive error left him exposed again. Ingimarsson and Ibrahima Sonko left a routine clearance to each other, and Healy nipped in and slid his shot under the goalkeeper.

Twenty minutes after the break, and playing against the wind, Leeds made the game safe. Sean Gregan hit a long ball that Hulse chased down the left wing, controlled, and slipped inside to Healy, whom found Aaron Lennon in the penalty area. He laid the ball off for Hulse to hit a fine curling drive beyond Hahnemann.

Seven minutes later, Hulse broke clear of the Reading backline and from 20 yards hit another shot beyond the goalkeeper. His technique, on a far from ideal pitch, was superb and he thoroughly deserved the standing ovation when he was substituted a few minutes later.

Reading had two good penalty shouts turned down in as many minutes, and Sidwell failed to beat Neil Sullivan with a header from point-blank range. The goalkeeper also brilliantly saved an attempted clearance by Kelly, but was finally beaten by a close-range flick by Lloyd Owusu.

“Rob has got a lot to live up to now, but we knew he was a good player, that’s why we’ve been chasing him for so long,” said Leeds assistant manager Sam Ellis. “From where we are now, the playoffs are a realistic possibility.”

With his team not having won in the League since Boxing Day, Reading manager Steve Coppell was understandably subdued.

“The one thing we have been is very solid defensively, so it’s very disappointing. All we can say is that we’ll work very hard to put things right,” he said.

Leeds supporters hoping Kevin Blackwell’s reshaped team can take them back to the Premiership should get a clearer idea of their prospects when they travel to Wigan next Saturday. In the meantime, Bates’s programme notes will have given them plenty to think about. With the club apparently still losing £120,000 a week, Bates also revealed that “mysterious middlemen” representing a prospective buyer of the club are resurfacing.

“Show evidence of wealth to my lawyer, reveal his identity and get confirmation that the money is available to complete a deal, then we can negotiate face to face,” wrote Bates. As an expression of commitment, it leaves something to be desired.

STAR MAN: Rob Hulse (Leeds Utd)

Player ratings. Leeds Utd: Sullivan 7, Kelly 6, Butler 6, Carlisle 5, Gray 6, Wright 6, Gregan 7, Einarsson 7, Healy 7 (Pugh 85min 5), Hulse 8 (Ricketts 71min, 5), Lennon 6 (Richardson 72min, 5)

Reading: Hahnemann 6, Murty 6, Ingimarsson 5, Sonko 5, Shorey 6, Little 5 (Morgan 67min, 5), Sidwell 5, Harper 5 (Brooker 66min, 5), Hughes 6, Forster 5, Ferdinand 5 (Owusu 76min, 6)

Scorers: Leeds Utd: Healy 36, Hulse 56, 63

Reading: Owusu 89

Referee: C Foy

Attendance: 30,034

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