LEEDS United’s resurgence continued as goals by Richard Cresswell and captain Paul Butler brought them a sixth win in eight games and consolidated their hold on third place in the Championship. With second-placed Sheffield United playing fourth-placed Watford tomorrow night, Leeds stole a march, at least temporarily, on the teams above and below them.

Leeds chief coach John Carver maintained they had a realistic chance of catching the Blades and securing automatic promotion. “With 15 games left we are still looking at second place,” Carver said.

This was a workmanlike victory over a Queens Park Rangers side depleted by injuries. QPR manager Ian Holloway solved a goalkeeping crisis by registering Phil Barnes’s loan from Sheffield United less than four hours before kick-off. Both goals came from headers and both came from passes from the left foot of Eddie Lewis, the United States international who had a terrific game on the left wing. His skill enlivened a drab, listless opening as he tormented QPR’s new Polish full-back Marcin Kus and after 27 minutes he beat the defender to the byline and forced Barnes into a save.

But Barnes was at fault for Leeds’s opener. Lewis swung over a free kick, the keeper called for the ball but could not reach it before Cresswell, whose back header looped into the empty net.

Neil Sullivan was not called on to make a save until nine minutes into the second half when Keith Lowe, another QPR debutant, won the ball in the air but headed straight at him. At the other end Liam Miller struck a stinging shot from 20 yards that brought a fine save from Barnes before Cresswell had an opportunity to score Leeds’s second. Lewis’s cross found the former Preston man unmarked, but he headed wide.

With Lewis unstoppable and Shaun Derry an anchor in midfield, Leeds were dominant. After 77 minutes Lewis did well to reach a Cresswell cross but when he pulled the ball back, no attacker followed up.

Six minutes from time Leeds put the result beyond doubt. Lewis sent over another perfectly weighted cross and Butler dived to head the ball powerfully past Barnes.

STAR MAN: Eddie Lewis (Leeds)

Player ratings. Leeds: Sullivan 7, Kelly 7, Butler 7, Gregan 6, Crainey 6, Douglas 6, Miller 7, Derry 7, Lewis 8, Healy 6 (Blake 71min, 6), Cresswell 7 (Hulse 77min, 7)

QPR: Barnes 7, Kus 5 (Langley 86min, 6), Lowe 6, Shittu 6, Taylor 7, Ainsworth 5 (Youssouf 66min, 6), Bignot 6, Lomas 6, Cook 7 (Nygaard 66min, 7), Moore 5, Clarke 5

Scorers: Leeds: Cresswell 39, Butler 84

Referee: P Walton

Attendance: 21,807

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