FORMER York Schools star Sam Byram set Leeds United on the way back to the top of the Championship in a 3-0 demolition of Luton Town at Elland Road.

The 31-year-old struck after just ten minutes with a smart scissor-kick volley after his initial effort popped back up into his path.

Byram, a former Joseph Rowntree School student, was only playing because first-choice left-back Junior Firpo was serving the last of a three-game ban.

He typifies the strength in depth of the current Leeds squad and the experienced defender has rarely put a foot wrong as Firpo’s replacement. Luton were continually opened up on the flank as Byram linked up well with the revitalised on-loan Spurs winger Manor Solomon.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke was able to leave out Daniel James, the star of United’s thrilling 4-3 win at Swansea, as Willie Gnonto was restored to the starting eleven. The Whites were cruising at 2-0 thanks to Joel Piroe’s goal just before half-time when James came off the bench midway through the second period and wrapped up the points with United’s third on 81 minutes.

His pace against overworked and weary defences is a major weapon as showcased by his goal. Jayden Bogle played a superb pass over the Luton defence, James was onto it in a flash, lobbing the ball clinically over advancing goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.

The visitors’ netminder had a busy evening as his side were outclassed by Leeds’ slick passing and movement orchestrated by midfielders Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.

Kaminski made several good saves including the one which led to Piroe’s goal. He did well to keep out Pascal Struijk’s downward header only for the United striker to fire in the loose ball.

Struijk had early kept Leeds ahead with a spectacular goal-line clearance after Victor Moses chipped the ball over goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Luton’s Reece Burke also missed with a close range header but generally their attack which included former York City loan striker Carlton Morris was nullified until the final moments when Meslier pulled off a couple of saves.

It was Leeds’ sixth successive home win, a sequence in which they have scored 15 goals and conceded just one.

Farke said: “To show such a dominant performance, to create many chances, to score three goals and score more or less in the perfect moments, I’m pretty happy with our performance.

“At the moment we’re showing great consistency in performances and also results, but efficiency to convert the chances – we’ve had this problem also in one or two away games where we haven’t come home with three points.

“And although we were that dominant we allowed them a few chances. Three or four times, Illan had to be there switched on and Pascal was also there with a great clearance so there’s always something to improve.

“But I don’t want to be too critical because it was very close to a big performance.”