FIVE games into the Championship and Leeds are well into their stride, with three wins and only one black mark against them. Their projection of returning to the Premiership within three years is now looking far less fanciful than it did at the beginning of the season.

Leeds lie fourth this morning whereas relegated Norwich, without a win in the Championship this season, find themselves fourth from bottom.

There is nothing particularly pretty about the way Leeds play, but in Rob Hulse they appear to have a centre-forward worth chanelling their energies and resources into. Hulse scored the winner yesterday and generally outmuscled the Norwich defence.

He was also booked for landing an elbow in the face of young Norwich defender Jason Shackell.

“He broke his nose with the first elbow,” Norwich manager Nigel Worthington said afterwards with a smile. “Then he straightened it with the second.”

Norwich’s Dean Ashton, who started the afternoon with a new contract in his back pocket and a rapturous reception from the capacity home crowd, also had his nose put out of joint as he was overshadowed by Hulse, his old Crewe teammate.

Despite the evidence in front of him, Worthington struck an upbeat tone. “I thought the performance today was very good and included some of our best passing of the season. We created more chances in this game but what let us down as a team is that we are snatching at them.”

Norwich were outmuscled and outfought in virtually every area yesterday and their reliance on Darren Huckerby as the only source of their creativity always looked destined to end in frustration.

Leeds should have broken the deadlock after 33 minutes through Hulse. He outjumped the Norwich defence to meet an inswinging corner from winger Eddie Lewis, but his powerful header hit the bar.

Ashton’s finishing was strictly lower-league standard when he had the chance to break the deadlock shortly before half-time.

Jim Brennan, playing in Huckerby’s normal role on the left, delivered a delightful crossfield ball to leave Ashton in the clear, but the forward allowed Ian Bennett to block.

It was Leeds who remained the more potent attacking force leading up to the interval.

Huckerby’s trickery started coming into its own in the second half, much to the bemusement of Dan Harding, but the winger’s finishing problems were again much in evidence.

On 46 minutes, Huckerby shot over after doing all the hard work and it seemed to dawn on him that others might have a better chance of breaking the deadlock.

Huckerby then put Brennan through, but the midfielder screwed wide of Bennett’s left-hand post from 15 yards.

In between Huckerby’s contributions, Hulse just failed to get on the end of a headed pass from Gylfi Einarsson, but the former West Brom player’s muscularity would soon have its rewards.

Frazer Richardson collected the ball on the right edge of Norwich’s penalty area and sent a delightful cross to the far post where captain Paul Butler met it with a firm header and Hulse showed a true poacher’s instinct to bundle the ball in.

Hulse was surprisingly substituted after 79 minutes by Jonathan Douglas, but the damage was already done. Although Norwich substitute, Gary Doherty, had a header saved by Bennett, the hosts were unable to threaten further.

STAR MAN: Rob Hulse (Leeds)

Player ratings. Norwich: Green 6, Colin 6 (Doherty 79min, 6), Fleming 6, Shackell 6, Brennan 7, Marney 7, Safri 5, Charlton 5 (McVeigh 87min, 6), Huckerby 7, McKenzie 6, Ashton 5

Leeds: Bennett 7, Kelly 6, Butler 7, Gregan 7, Harding 6, Richardson 7, Einarsson 7, Derry 7, Lewis 7, Healy 6 (Cresswell 74min, 6), Hulse 8 (Douglas 79min, 6)

Scorer: Leeds: Hulse 67

Referee: U Rennie

Attendance: 25,015

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