Leeds United 2, Crystal Palace 1

Leeds manager Neil Warnock delivered on his promise that the season started today as his side kicked off their new era by ending Crystal Palace’s 14-game unbeaten run.

After six months of negotiations, United were this week bought by GFH Capital and Warnock – having said anyone could have done his job for the first four cash-strapped months of the season – claimed it was the first day of his pursuit of a record-setting eighth promotion.

And although the goals scored by Luciano Becchio and Paul Green do not mask the fact that Leeds had previously gone seven games without a win, leaving them far from Premier League material, this was as good a start as they and GFH could have wished for.

Warnock felt his side were well worth their victory over the overnight leaders and praised his deadline day loan signings.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted for the new owners. We deserved the win over the 90 minutes.

“We started the game very well and had to hang in there at times but our two new lads made the difference.

“Alan Tate is a good pro. He had a calming influence on us at the back, while Jerome Thomas is as good as anyone in the Premier League, let alone the Championship. We needed the lift in confidence those two have given us.”

Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny had to complete a double save from Jonathan Parr and Glenn Murray in the first half but Palace lacked their usual cutting edge.

Damien Delaney had already been booked for diving and when Palace team-mate Wilfried Zaha also went down easily inside the box, United midfielder David Norris squared up to him and was pushed aside by Zaha in an unsavoury incident on the half-time whistle.

All three goals came in a tension-packed second half. Becchio hooked in the first after a defensive mix-up, the Argentinian grabbing his 11th of the season in the 52nd minute, before Green volleyed his first for the club when Palace failed to deal with Tate’s free-kick.

The visitors were given hope by Peter Ramage’s 86th-minute header but their late onslaught failed to produce an equaliser.