IT IS at times like these that Graeme Souness must wish he had ironed out his differences with Craig Bellamy and tried to persuade this most captivating of talents to stay at St James’ Park.

For the second game running, the Wales striker emerged from the substitutes’ bench to inspire Blackburn Rovers to a fifth win in six games and provide further evidence that, at £5million, he is probably the best bit of business conducted by a Barclays Premiership club this summer.

A prosaic Leeds United were Bellamy’s victims in a one-sided Carling Cup tie last night, just as Birmingham City had been in the Premiership four days earlier, and with him spearheading Blackburn’s attack, Mark Hughes, the manager, will have every confidence of progressing to the latter stages of a competition that the Lancashire club won in 2002.

Blackburn had been willing but wasteful before Bellamy replaced Shefki Kuqi shortly after the restart, and within seven minutes of his introduction, he had changed the complexion of the game, setting up Brett Emerton for the opener, before creating the second and third goals for Paul Dickov and Lucas Neill.

The misery of Leeds was compounded in the 88th minute when Gylfi Einarsson, who had already been booked, was shown a straight red card after an ugly two-footed lunge at Robbie Savage, although Kevin Blackwell, the manager, believed the Blackburn midfield player was lucky to stay on the field after bearing his own studs in the challenge and making a provocative gesture in the direction of visiting supporters.

Bellamy is clearly relishing life after Newcastle United and his form is all the more incredible when you consider that he is not yet fully fit, having only returned recently from a three-week lay-off with a knee injury. Pity the opposition when he is 100 per cent.

Even Chelsea, who Blackburn visit in the league on Saturday, might be running a little scared, although Hughes is not certain whether he will start the forward for fear of rushing him back too soon.

“I don’t think there are many that have the ability he has,” Hughes said. “He is demanding as a player and a personality but I think that is what makes him such a good player. He gives us that cutting edge and I’m absolutely delighted he is here.”

Dickov and Andy Todd had squandered Blackburn’s best chances before the introduction of Bellamy.

There is a palpable sense of excitement among Blackburn’s supporters whenever he touches the ball, and on the hour, he picked out Emerton with a delightful through-ball that the Australia winger rammed under the legs of Neil Sullivan.

A one-two with Morten Gamst Pedersen freed Bellamy down the right flank in the 76th minute and he crossed to leave Dickov with a tap-in.

Two quickly became three when Bellamy fed Neill, who raced behind the Leeds defence to clip the ball past Sullivan. Leeds were poor, but there was simply no legislating for the jewel in Blackburn’s crown.

BLACKBURN ROVERS (4-4-2): B Friedel — L Neill, A Todd, Z Khizanishvili (sub: A Mokoena, 68min), M Gray — B Emerton, R Savage, Tugay Kerimoglu, M G Pedersen — P Dickov (sub: M Jansen, 79), S Kuqi (sub: C Bellamy, 53). Substitutes not used: P Enckelman, D Bentley. Booked: Emerton, Tugay Kerimoglu.

LEEDS UNITED (4-3-3): N Sullivan — F Richardson, P Butler, M Kilgallon, D Harding — G Einarsson, S Gregan (sub: J Douglas, 71), D Pugh (sub: E Lewis 73) — D Healy, R Blake (sub: R Hulse, 77), I Moore. Substitutes not used: I Bennett, S Walton. Booked: Einarsson. Sent off: Einarsson.

Referee: C Foy.