SEVENTY-FIVE DAYS HAD PASSED since Leeds United were humbled by Watford in the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs final, but that demoralising defeat was still fresh in the memory of everyone associated with the club as they kicked off the new season at Elland Road.

Ninety minutes later and only the most partisan of Leeds supporters could argue that it was not a blessing in disguise that their team failed to reclaim their place at the high table of English football. Sure, Kevin Blackwell, the eminently likeable manager, would have signed players of a higher calibre than, say, Geoff Horsfield, this summer had he been planning for survival in the Barclays Premiership, rather than promotion from the Championship, but it is hard to imagine that this Leeds side — even with one or two modifications — would experience anything more than an ignominious return from whence they came.

Robert Earnshaw is one thing, Andriy Shevchenko and Thierry Henry are quite another, but Leeds had such difficulty trying to shackle the erratic Norwich City striker that the mind boggled at the thought of what damage some of the Premiership’s glitterati might do to Paul Butler and company this season had it been Watford who imploded in Cardiff in May.

As it stands, Leeds’s only battles with Premiership clubs — barring a run in either cup competition — are likely to be within the confines of Soho Square’s disciplinary commission .

Blackwell’s charges appeared to be suffering from a monumental Millennium Stadium hangover in a first period that somehow ended with them in front. Had Earnshaw brought his shooting boots and Tony Warner — deputising for the injured Neil Sullivan only 24 hours after signing on a month’s loan from Fulham, the fourth time he has answered an emergency at such short notice — not been on the top of his game in goal, Norwich would have been out of sight by the time David Healy’s penalty handed Leeds the most fortuitous of half-time leads.

Leeds were better after the interval, but there are cracks that Blackwell will need to address if expectations are to be met. “What this victory does is refocus the lads,” Blackwell said. “Whether it exorcises the ghosts (of Cardiff) I don’t know, but if the lads start to feel sorry for themselves it will be a bloody long season.”

Earnshaw had the beating of the Leeds defence on just about every occasion, but the Welshman cannot marry that pace and energy he possesses with a cool head in front of goal.

At the other end, Horsfield would have doubled the Leeds advantage had he connected properly with Steve Stone’s perfect cross with the goal at his mercy. Time will tell whether Leeds can maintain this winning start.

Leeds United (4-4-2): A Warner — G Kelly, P Butler, M Kilgannon, S Crainey (sub: I Moore, 85min) — S Stone, S Derry, E Bakke (sub: I Westlake, 77), E Lewis — D Healy (sub: S Carole, 69), G Horsfield. Substitutes not used: S Gregan, R Blake. Booked: Healy, Butler. NEXT Queens Park Rangers (a)

Norwich City (4-5-1): P Gallacher — J Colin (sub: P Thorne, 82), G Doherty, J Shackell, A Drury — L Croft (sub: McKenzie, 56), C Robinson (sub: P McVeigh, 71), Y Safri, D Etuhu, D Huckerby — R Earnshaw. Substitutes not used: C Fleming, J Lewis. NEXT Preston North End (h)

Referee: G Laws. Attendance 22,417.

Shots on target (h) 6 (a) 4. Fouls (h) 13 (a) 15. Offsides: (h) 5 (a) 2