HE WOULD, one assumes, prefer not to suffer the scars in the first place, but there is nothing that Micky Adams prefers to work with than a wounded animal. The Leicester City manager admits that he has been like a snarling creature roaming his cage during an elongated international break, after a tummy-tickling from Aston Villa 17 days ago. Last night, his players proved that they have the stomach for the fight ahead.

Leicester’s first win of the season was thoroughly deserved, Paul Dickov scoring twice after Lilian Nalis, signed on a free transfer from Chievo during the summer, had conjured up a wonderful goal to set the tone. The French midfield player, already favoured by the Leicester crowd for wearing the No 8 shirt and his hair long in the fashion of Robbie Savage, wrapped his left foot around Jody Morris’s clearance, 30 yards out, 20 minutes in, and the ball flew into the top corner. “I’ve just been trying to explain to him what ‘fluke’ means,” Adams joked.

James Scowcroft completed the scoring in the final minute as Leeds fell apart in a manner that alarmed Peter Reid. “We were second best all over the pitch,” the Leeds manager said. “They simply wanted it more than us. In our four previous games, the attitude and work ethic has been tremendous but tonight there are no excuses. We were second in too many departments to win a football match — or even to compete in it.

“We can learn from Leicester. Some goals were great but we just weren’t at the races. We told our players what to expect but, for some reason, they just weren’t up for it.”

The inconsistency being displayed by Leeds suggests that Leicester, adapting to the Barclaycard Premiership, may have taken three points from a rival. Last night, the home side overtook their opponents in the table, climbing out of the bottom three to the dizzy heights of eleventh place.

Adams clearly has been working on his team’s start to matches since they went 3-0 down in the opening quarter of an hour at Villa Park. “I would have taken any margin of victory tonight,” he said. “I wouldn’t comment on Peter Reid’s team but I know I was bitterly disappointed by the defeat at Aston Villa. You’ve got to start fast and furious and we did that.”

Marcus Bent, on loan from Ipswich Town, helped to establish the tempo with a superb debut, offering a ball-to-feet option in between the flurry of accurate crosses to the far post in which Leicester specialise. Paul Robinson, the England goalkeeper, was in splendid form, saving adroitly from Scowcroft and Gerry Taggart before Nalis’s contender for goal of the season.

Three minutes later, Leicester confirmed their dominance. Scowcroft flicked on Ian Walker’s long goal kick to Bent, who helped the ball on in similar fashion. Dickov, energised by his recent goalscoring return to the Scotland team, chested the ball down, swivelled and volleyed beyond Robinson’s clutches. The spectator who was advised over the public-address system at the interval that his wife had gone into labour must have been trusting that she would at least have the decency to wait until full-time before delivering. No Leicester supporter wanted to leave early last night.

Certainly Dickov remained right on his game as he scored his second of the night seven minutes from time, turning on to Muzzy Izzet’s pass to leave Lucas Radebe on his backside and shoot beyond Robinson. The goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent Scowcroft heading in a fourth, from Izzet’s free kick, in the final minute.

“We won’t be getting complacent,” Adams said. “We go to Anfield on Saturday and we have Manchester United after that. But I’ve been delighted with our level of performance apart from that first 20 minutes at Villa.”

Leicester continue to play to their strengths, harassing the opposition from high up the pitch and producing top-class deliveries into the penalty area. “We are what we are, I’m afraid,” Adams said by way of an unnecessary apology. “We have to work at what we do every day.”

Reid will be trusting that Leeds can respond in similar manner to Leicester after their humbling. His newcomers looked like strangers, Roque Júnior and Didier Domi, making their debuts, being withdrawn as they failed to keep up with Leicester’s pace.

“Every second ball was lost, every dead ball I thought they were going to score from,” Reid said. “Just when you think you’re on the right lines you get a performance like that. It’s really disappointing.”

LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): I Walker — J Curtis, F Sinclair, G Taggart, B Thatcher — C Hignett (sub: J Stewart, 77min), L Nalis, M Izzet, J Scowcroft — M Bent (sub: B Deane, 75), P Dickov (sub: A Impey, 86). Substitutes not used: D Coyne, S Howey.

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): P Robinson — G Kelly, Z Camara, Roque Júnior (sub: L Radebe, 81), D Domi (sub: S Olembe, 54) — J Pennant, J Morris, Seth Johnson, L Sakho (sub: A Lennon, 70) — A Smith, M Viduka. Substitutes not used: S Carson, D Batty. Booked: Domi, Roque Júnior.

Referee: J Winter.