UNITED 3 (Johnson 14, Beckford 35, Becchio 86), TRANMERE 0
United: Higgs, Crowe, Marques, Kisnorbo, Hughes, Snodgrass (Robinson 80), Howson, Doyle (Kilkenny 80), Johnson, Beckford (Grella 84), Becchio. Subs: Ankergren, Prutton, Michalik, Showunmi.
Tranmere: Daniels, Logan, Gunning (Taylor 40), Goodison, Cresswell, Shuker (Fraughan 81), Welsh, McLaren, Mahon, Thomas-Moore, Curran (Ricketts 46). Subs: Collister, Edds, Gornell, Barnett.
Referee: E Ilderton
Booked: Goodison (Tranmere)
Att: 21,692
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United manager Simon Grayson named an unchanged side as his team went in search of a 13th successive league victory on home soil.
The last time United recorded such a feat was in 1969 when the club clinched the Football League title for the first time and Don Revie was manager.
Leeds had finished strongly to record a third straight league win at Walsall in midweek, and Grayson's men were almost in front after 27 seconds against Tranmere. Luciano Becchio capitalised on some weak defending by Ian Goodison, and Jermaine Beckford was only denied by a great save by Luke Daniels.
Beckford went even closer in the fourth minute when he beat Daniels, but found the inside of the upright after some good play by Michael Doyle.
United goalkeeper Shane Higgs was also called upon to be alert inside the opening five minutes when Alan Mahon tried his luck with a chip from distance.
But it was United who really took the game to Tranmere and Beckford went close again after 10 minutes when he lifted a low cross from Robert Snodgrass over the top.
The goal finally came in the 14th minute, courtesy of a good, clean strike from Bradley Johnson.
Jonny Howson had picked the ball up in midfield and fed Jason Crowe. Becchio met Crowe's cross with a powerful header, but after Daniels had pulled off another great point-blank save, the ball fell to Johnson who slammed it home from an angle.
Howson was a threat again on 24 minutes, winning a corner following an intelligent run and strike, and the midfielder almost released Becchio on goal, but Daniels was able to collect first.
Daniels response was to launch the ball forward and it took some quick thinking from Patrick Kisnorbo to deny Ian Thomas-Moore after the striker threatened to latch on to the ball.
Shortly before the half-hour it was Daniels who again came to Tranmere's rescue, first to deny Beckford then Becchio.
The second goal did come, on 35 minutes, and it came from the familiar boot of Beckford. Andrew Hughes was the provider with a ball from deep, Tranmere defender Goodison failed to deal with it, and Beckford seized to slide the ball past Daniels and in off the inside of the post.
Johnson almost bagged a third moments before the interval. Beckford deftly touched on a long ball forward to release Johnson, but Tranmere goalkeeper Daniels once again got a vital touch to deny United what could have been a first-half rout.
Tranmere boss John Barnes made his second substitution at half-time, introducing former Leeds striker Michael Ricketts, but it was United who almost bagged a third within five minutes of the re-start when Beckford almost converted a Johnson cross from the left.
And Beckford, who was causing mayhem among the Tranmere defenders with his movement, was thwarted again on 55 minutes when he hit the underside of the bar after some excellent build-up play by United.
Moments later, it was Daniels who pulled off yet another outstanding save after Kisnorbo had a deflected effort which appeared to be heading into the top corner. Howson also tried to get in on the act when he curled a shot narrowly wide of the upright.
It really had been pretty much one-way traffic for the first hour with Leeds turning in one of the best performances for a long while. Going forward, Grayson's men could have been out of sight, and defensively, United had restricted Tranmere to very little.
Amazingly, the woodwork was proving to be a major thorn in the side of Beckford, and the United striker was denied what would have been a superb goal - a first time time strike from 30 yards out - when the ball hit the inside of the post yet again.
Beckford and Becchio were both denied by good blocks at the halfway stage of the second half as Tranmere continued to be pegged back.
And when the defenders were beaten, the outstanding Daniels was having the game of his life to keep the scoreline down, another superb save denying Johnson. From the resultant corner, the ultimate combination of goalkeeper, woodwork, and defence denied Leeds when Becchio and Rui Marques went close.
Had it been a boxing match, Tranmere would have long left the ring and headed back to the Wirral, but with 19 minutes remaining, the visitors were still clinging on to the fact that they were only 2-0 down in a contest when the margin could have been far greater.
With 10 minutes remaining, the United manager made a double substitution, handing Neil Kilkenny and Andy Robinson opportunities for the final moments. And the duo quickly combined for the Aussie midfielder to send a shot skidding wide of the mark.
Mike Grella also came off the bench, for Beckford, who received a standing ovation, and his first involvement was to win a free-kick 25 yards out. From the set-play Johnson was again denied by the woodwork with the goalkeeper well beaten, but this time Becchio was able to head home the rebound to make it 3-0.
A third goal wasn't even half as much as United deserved from the contest, but it did lean towards a fairer reflection on a game that had seen Grayson's side dominate from the first minute. It was also confirmation of a 13th successive home league victory, equalling the club's best home league sequence, achieved by the Revie team of 40 years ago.
The success was almost rubber-stamped with a fourth goal, from Grella, in stoppage time. The American twisted and turned inside the box, working himself an opening, but his finish was narrowly wide.
