Swindon Town 3, Leeds United 0

Former Bradford City striker Billy Paynter scored twice as Leeds United suffered their heaviest Coca-Cola League One defeat of the season at the County Ground tonight.

Prolific youngster Charlie Austin hit his ninth goal in 12 appearances to give Swindon the encouragement of a 13th-minute lead, and Leeds failed to show any semblance of the form that earned that 2-2 draw in the FA Cup at Tottenham on Saturday.

Leeds have failed to win any of their five matches since the 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford and badly need to get back on track in the league if they are to gain automatic promotion. Manager Simon Grayson selected an unchanged side, so skipper Richard Naylor was still out with a hamstring problem and the newly-signed Max Gradel began on the bench.

The first goal arrived when Leeds lost possession and the ball was played through to former Poole Town goal-machine Austin, who crashed it into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

It could have been even worse five minutes later when Casper Ankergren had to make a superb save from John-Paul McGovern's deflected shot towards the bottom corner.

Leeds started slowly at Tottenham and they were hesitant out of the traps again, prompting suspicions of complacency, though Grayson would doubtless argue otherwise.

His side went close to a 31st-minute equaliser when Jonny Howson's driven ball towards the six-yard box was cleared by Scott Cuthbert over his own bar, but former Leeds keeper David Lucas didn't have a first- half shot to save.

Fussy referee Phil Gibbs dished out yellow cards to Leigh Bromby, McGovern and Robert Snodgrass for minor offences, and when former Leeds midfielder Jonathan Douglas was fouled 22 yards out, McGovern's accurate free-kick in the 40th minute again brought the best out of Ankergren.

Leeds went in at the interval a goal down for the fourth successive game.

Grayson responded by replacing Jason Crowe and Neil Kilkenny with Lubo Michalik and Luciano Becchio at the start of he second half but it made little difference.

It was 53 minutes before Bradley Johnson forced the first save from Lucas, who had no trouble stopping a shot which lacked conviction, but two goals in a three-minute spell put the game beyond Leeds' reach.

Paynter headed home at the near post on the hour after Jean-Francois Lescinel had traded passes with Douglas.

Then the referee spotted an offence and Paynter added his second, and Swindon's third from the spot after the referee had taken Ankergren's name.

Becchio hit the bar as Leeds tried in vain to repair the damage, and substitute Gradel became the fourth Leeds player to be booked on a night to forget.