Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock won his personal battle with former protégé Kevin Blackwell as Leeds suffered their worst Elland Road defeat for over three years.

Worse for Blackwell, the fans voiced their discontent as it is now five games without a win and with such a run the curtain has come down on Leeds' faint flirtation of a top-six finish, while for the Blades, the play-offs are firmly within their sights.

Blackwell, who had served for so long as Warnock's number two at a number of clubs but primarily at Bramall Lane before taking up the Leeds hot-seat last summer, had refused to be drawn into a war of words with the Blades boss in the build-up to the game.

Blackwell had claimed Warnock was the best wind-up merchant in the business, but after this Yorkshire derby defeat - the heaviest at home since Liverpool's 4-0 win on February 3, 2002 - the Leeds manager will have been left seething with anger at the performance, rather than any mocking words.

Warnock could not have envisaged a more perfect start, with striker Danny Webber on the scoresheet after just 93 seconds to silence the Elland Road faithful.

Webber, a deadline-day loan signing from Watford until the end of the season, initially danced his way past the challenges of Simon Walton and Leeds skipper Paul Butler before he then drilled his 13th goal of the season - and his first for United - beyond Neil Sullivan from 16 yards.

Webber should have made it 2-0 three minutes later as slack Leeds defending ensured he was unmarked inside the area in receiving a low cross from Alan Quinn, only for the ball to get stuck under his feet, resulting in a scuffed shot Sullivan was relieved to collect.

But after a period when Leeds pressed for the equaliser, with Danny Pugh, Seth Johnson and Rob Hulse all trying their luck from distance, United doubled their lead on the half-hour mark.

Quinn provided the dinked cross from the dead-ball line for fast-arriving midfielder Nick Montgomery, Leeds born and a lifelong United fan at heart, to stab home his first goal for more than 13 months from eight yards.

It appeared Leeds had pulled one back on the stroke of half time when a rising drive from Hulse cracked against the underside of the bar, seemingly crossing the line, but with the assistant referee was woefully placed to give a decision.

All hope of a comeback ended just 75 seconds after the interval when Andy Gray volleyed home a Phil Jagielka knock down from the edge of the area.

That prompted the Leeds supporters to turn, notably against chairman Ken Bates and his proposed season-ticket price hikes for next season.

When Johnson twice failed to steer the ball home from six yards on the hour, with it went Leeds' resolve, eventually conceding a fourth on 75 minutes.

That ironically came with the Leeds fans taunting their Sheffield counterparts with a cry of "3-0, and you still don't sing," before Gray then scored his 16th of the season at the second attempt after an initial save by Sullivan.

Sadly for Leeds, the goal also cost them the services of Butler who was taken off on a stretcher with his head in a brace after colliding with Sullivan in the build up, and later taken to hospital after losing consciousness on the pitch after swallowing his tongue.

Teams:

Leeds Sullivan, Walton (Gregan 39), Butler (Carlisle 81), Kilgallon, Pugh, Lennon, Derry, Johnson, King (Moore 53), Healy, Hulse.

Subs Not Used: Einarsson, Spring.

Booked: Lennon, Johnson, Gregan, Hulse.

Sheff Utd Kenny, Kozluk, Morgan, Bromby, Harley, Quinn, Jagielka, Montgomery, Tonge (Geary 45), Gray, Webber (Kabba 84).

Subs Not Used: Liddell, Barnes, Thirlwell.

Booked: Bromby.

Goals: Webber 2, Montgomery 30, Gray 47, 74.

Att: 28,936

Ref: P Walton (Northamptonshire).