The purpose of yesterday's friendly between Leeds and FCV Dender was to prove to Gary McAllister that his players are primed for the League One marathon which begins in Scunthorpe next Saturday and a 4-1 victory convinced him that there is nothing more to be asked for or taken from this particular pre-season.

United reserved their most coherent performance of the summer for their only home friendly and the reward for their display may come in the form of starting places at Glanford Park for the 11 players who inspired yesterday's success.

Unbeaten after seven friendlies, there is little that McAllister wished for from pre-season that has not been granted. Even Tuesday's dismal draw at Darlington – a match which prompted a lock-in and choice words in United's dressing room at full-time – is no longer a cause for concern, addressed as it was by a vastly-improved approach to the visit of Dender.

Efforts in the first half from Paul Huntington, Rui Marques and Jermaine Beckford sparked Dender's demise, but their goals were only a fraction of the chances created by Leeds against a club whose inadequacies and lack of conviction were apparent throughout.

In beating the team set in front of them, United were also the masters of a somewhat disappointing side.

Dender's international profile is not expansive – the club was created only three years ago, the product of a merger between two other Belgian teams – but their short history spoke of impressive progression and, before kick-off, they represented Leeds' most credible opposition of the summer.

Promotions in their first two years as a professional club gained Dender entry into Belgium's premier division, the Jupiler League, in 2007 and after United's games against teams from League Two, the Blue Square Premier and Eire's eircom league, their involvement at Elland Road yesterday should have been a suitably testing conclusion to pre-season.

In the end, their contribution was limited in the face of a convincing display from Leeds.

An minor injury, one which is unlikely to persist far into next week, prevented Gary McAllister from including new signing Luciano Becchio in his squad, but a strong line-up, including all four of his other summer arrivals, ensured a meaningful rehearsal before the start of the League One season next weekend.

Devoid of ideas and, at times, intent at Darlington on Tuesday night, United's attitude yesterday was more to McAllister's liking.

Jermaine Beckford's sixth-minute header – a chance that drifted six yards wide of Dender's goal – set the tone for the initial skirmishes, in which Leeds enjoyed the more effective attacks.

A clever lob from Andy Robinson on seven minutes played in Enoch Showunmi, who slipped between two defenders before seeing his shot blocked inside the box by the legs of Samuel Neva and a free-kick from Robinson failed to creep inside Alexandre Martinovic's right-hand post after Showunmi's heels were clipped by Neva a yard outside Dender's area.

The opportunities continued to fall in the vicinity of Dender's goalkeeper and the visitors' defending began to develop a slightly desperate edge.

Martinovic's brilliant one-handed save flicked Robinson's rising shot over the crossbar with 17 minutes gone and a weak clearance which laid the ball to the feet of Beckford required a frantic block from Siebe Blondelle to prevent an opening goal which came, nevertheless, three minutes later.

Robert Snodgrass' free-kick from the right wing was worked into the centre of Dender's box with the help of Showunmi's strength and Huntington arrived in space to drive a low finish past Martinovic.

If United hoped the finish might weaken Dender's enthusiasm, it had the desired effect.

With 28 minutes on the clock Snodgrass aimed a corner into a crowd of players, from which Marques – the only player inclined to jump – dispatched a simple header into the bottom of the net.

By the time Showunmi's low shot came within touching distance of a Dender post, the Belgian visitors were losing any grip they had on the friendly and the third goal arrived on 34 minutes.

Showunmi, who 60 seconds earlier had driven a glorious chance against Martinovic's body, played in Beckford, who floored Dender's keeper with a quick change of feet and clipped home a tidy finish with his usual poise.

Dender reached the interval without sustaining further damage – they might, in fact, have scored when confusion between Casper Ankergren and Frazer Richardson saw Norman Sylla steer a lob past an empty net – but the consolation of no further concessions can scarcely have improved their attitude for the second half.

It helped the contest, however, that Dender scored within 10 minutes of the restart. Sylla collected a long ball on the left and ran infield before driving a low shot against Ankergren and the ricochet left Bart Van den Eede free to curl a low finish into a vacant net.

United's victory would have been in some doubt were it not for a wasteful finish on the hour from Sylla, who chipped the ball over the bar with only Ankergren to beat, but a flood of substitutions by McAllister dampened the tempo of a game which Leeds wrapped up four minutes from time when Huntington rose to head home Peter Sweeney's corner.

Leeds United: Ankergren, Richardson (Bayly 56), Marques (Michalik 56), Huntington, Sheehan, Snodgrass (Douglas 62), Prutton (Gardner 62), Howson (Sweeney 62), Robinson (Delph 62), Showunmi, Beckford (Parker 65). Subs (not used): Lucas, Martin.

FCV: Dender: Martinovic, Deflandre, Filipovic, De Petter, Van den Eede, Wiggers (De Pever 46), Destorme (Jacobs 46), Neva, Sylla, Blondelle, Barbe (Copel 74). Subs (not used): Berthelin, Degroote, Vanderbiest, Wittesaele.

Referee: U Rennie (South Yorkshire)