When a teenage Frank Lampard looked on as Leeds United strengthened record against West Ham

The resurgent Irons have won all four fixtures against Marcelo Bielsa’s side since the Yorkshire outfit’s Premier League return, last weekend’s FA Cup victory following three-straight league wins.

Leeds will look to avoid losing for the fourth consecutive time against the Hammers in tomorrow’s Premier League rematch in the capital.

But in the mid-1990s it was Leeds who were running up a sequence against the Irons, sterling work from Gary Kelly instrumental in sealing a third straight win against them in January 1997.

Back then, Kelly’s brilliant free-kick and 20-year-old Lee Bowyer’s superb volley saw George Graham’s side to a 2-0 win at the old Upton Park against a Hammers team managed by Harry Redknapp.

The Irons were in their fourth season back in the Premier Division, having been promoted as Division One runners-up under Billy Bonds in the 1992-93 campaign, the season after Leeds had been crowned champions of England.

For the Hammers, three consecutive mid-table finishes followed, the Irons ending the 1995-96 season in 10th place, three spots above Howard Wilkinson’s Whites, who had slumped down the table having finished fifth the last two years.

Title-winning boss Wilkinson then lost his job just five games into the 96-97 campaign, the legendary former Whites manager axed after September’s 4-0 loss at Manchester United and replaced by George Graham in September.

The Whites endured a torrid festive period which featured a Boxing Day defeat at home to Coventry City before away losses at Manchester United and Newcastle United – the latter on New Year’s Day.

But Graham’s side hit lift-off for 1997 with a 3-0 win at home to Leicester City which was followed by a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third round and then the impressive win at Upton Park.

Leeds lined up with Nigel Martyn in goal behind Kelly, Lucas Radebe, David Wetherall, Robert Molenaar, Gunnar Halle, Mark Jackson, Carlton Palmer, Bowyer, Ian Rush and Brian Deane.

Mark Beeney, Ian Harte, Mark Ford, Paul Beesley and Rod Wallace made up the Whites bench.

An 18-year-old Frank Lampard was among the substitutes for West Ham, whose side featured Slaven Bilic at the heart of the defence.

Yet that defence was breached twice, first after brilliance from Kelly, who beat Hammers ’keeper Ludek Miklosko with a superb direct free-kick eight minutes after the break.

The Whites right-back stepped up for his effort on the edge of the D and applied superb bend on his strike, which gradually curled away from the Irons custodian towards the top right corner.

A scrambling Miklosko got a hand to the effort but the Czech ’keeper could only push the effort on to the underside of the bar, the ball then bouncing back over the line to put Leeds ahead.

The Whites were on course for another win against the Irons and doubled their lead 16 minutes later with Kelly again heavily involved before Bowyer netted after terrific work from Brian Deane down the left flank.

The Leeds striker turned on the touchline near the halfway line before racing away down that side of the pitch and making his way to the byline.

The forward then sent in a looping cross which was met at the opposite edge of the area by Kelly, who arrowed a firm shot back across goal from a tight angle.

The Hammers defence cleared but only to Bowyer on the edge of the box, and the Whites midfielder took one touch to control the ball with his chest before unleashing a fine volley which flew past Miklosko and into the back of the net off the left-hand post.

Back then, Leeds United were a bit of a problem for West Ham.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins