Leeds United: Whites cruise to pre-season victory at Guiseley

The Northern Ireland international produced two sweet finishes inside half-an-hour to put Leeds on course for an easy 5-1 win at Nethermoor.

Dallas’ opener came in the first minute of a friendly which played out in warm sunshine and followed up United’s 4-2 victory over Harrogate Town at Thorp Arch on Wednesday.

Marcus Antonsson and Lee Erwin added further goals as Thomas Christiansen’s players dominated non-league opponents who were appearing for the first time since rescuing their National League status with virtually the final kick of last season.

A satisfying performance was tainted by a spat between defender Giuseppe Bellusci and sections of the crowd who booed the Italian and aimed chants at him during his 45-minute outing before half-time.

Bellusci signed a number of autographs during the interval before walking down the tunnel but midway through the second half he tweeted: “Fortunately in this world we have the children to set an example to the adults!”

United took the lead with the first attack of the game, striking through Dallas after 22 seconds.

Eunan O’Kane won the ball from ex-United player Alex Purver in midfield and fed a pass out to Dallas who found the top corner of Jonny Maxted’s net with a curling finish from the left.

Pablo Hernandez should have doubled United’s lead soon after but lashed an 18-yard shot over the crossbar. Leeds, however, were rarely troubled and goalkeeper Rob Green saw out most of the opening half-hour without a shot to save. Luke Ayling went close to increasing United’s lead with a shot beyond Maxted’s far post on 20 minutes.

Dallas found the net again seven minutes later, beating Maxted in near identical fashion after Ayling hooked in a right-wing cross but Guiseley pulled a goal back almost immediately as one of the seven trialists in their squad smashed a vicious shot across Green.

Antonsson, who played as a lone striker, re-established Leeds’ two-goal advantage on 33 minutes when tricky play from Hernandez set him up with a tap-in.

Christiansen used the same approach as he had in Wednesday’s behind-closed-doors win over Harrogate, naming a different team for each half at Nethermoor.

Recent arrival Mateusz Klich was unexpectedly missing from the travelling squad but O’Kane and Pontus Jansson made their first appearances of the summer.

New signing Vurnon Anita, who signed a three-year contract on Thursday, completed a training session before kick-off at Nethermoor but was not involved in the friendly.

Youngster Madger Gomes drove a good chance narrowly wide at the start of the second period but Erwin scored for the second time in two games just before the hour, angling a 12-yard shot inside the far post.

Guiseley struggled to threaten Green’s replacement, Felix Wiedwald, and Erwin rounded off the scoring when he slotted home the rebound after Souleymane Doukara's volley was parried.

United’s management were joined at Nethermoor by Paul Butler, the former Doncaster Rovers first-team coach who has arrived at Leeds in the same role.

Leeds United (first half): Green, Ayling, Bellusci, Jansson, Denton, Dallas, O'Kane, Phillips, Hernandez, Roofe, Antonsson.

Leeds United (second half): Wiedwald, P McKay, Cooper (Shaughnessy 85), Diagouraga, Berardi, Vieira, Bridcutt, Gomes, Sacko, Doukara, Erwin.