IMPRESSIVE Leeds United shattered Sheffield United’s unbeaten record to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the Championship.

Goals by Pascal Struijk and Mateo Joseph under Elland Road’s lights ended the Blades run of six games without conceding a goal.

The 2-0 win was surprisingly easy against Chris Wilder’s team who simply could not get near the home side’s level of performance.

The visitors had barely laid a glove on Leeds but somehow were still in the contest as the clock ticked on to 69 minutes when the Whites won a corner on the left in front of the Don Revie Stand.

Joe Rothwell, the game’s outstanding performer, whipped in a low cross which the on-running Struijk thumped high into the net.

It was Leeds’ first set-piece goal since February, a run of 21 games, and the first let in by the visitors in more than 11 hours.

Although Wilder went for broke by throwing on more attackers, Leeds remained firmly in control and ensured victory in the final minute when Joel Piroe’s exquisite pass enabled Spanish Under-21 international Mateo Joseph to out-muscle Sydie Peck and slide the ball past Michael Cooper.

The result extended United’s unbeaten run in Yorkshire derbies to 16 but it was the nature of the performance that will have worried the rest of the division.

Wilder admitted: “We got done by the better side - they were better in all departments from the off.

“They were sharper to everything and are by far and away the best team that we’ve played all season. They’ve got quality right the way through and they’ve done that to other teams as well this season.”

The platform for the victory was set by new midfield partnership Rothwell and Ao Tanaka. The pair have been thrown together because of injuries to skipper Ethan Ampadu and Illian Gruev but bossed the South Yorkshire side with and without the ball.

Leeds could have been out of sight by half-time but old failings in front of goal threatened to undermine the slick passing and movement their play deserved. Largie Ramazani hit an upright and a minute later drew a fine sprawling save from Cooper as the Blades were continually forced onto the back foot.

Brenden Aaronson failed to hit the target with two good openings and both he and Piroe slashed the ball over the bar as Leeds continued to create openings early in the second half.

Just as the Whites could have been forgiven for thinking they would never score they surprised their own fans by netting from a corner – a rare source of success.

Manager Daniel Farke said: “We had a good balance of being brave but also of being smart, and for that it was a really mature performance from the first to the last second.”

Before the game there was a minute’s applause to remember George Baldock, the former Sheffield United and Greece defender who died at the age of 31 during the international break.