Typically the pre-match talk was dominated by the latest story overshadowing events on the park at Elland Road. New owner Massimo Cellino made page one of the Sun having called in the police to investigate allegations that the Elland Road boardroom and toilets had been bugged, however it was Luke Murphy who got us talking football with a match-winning performance and double strike that flushed poor Blackpool away.

Despite our wretched form, I fancied us to sink the Seasiders who's boss Barry Ferguson named himself in their side today. In keeping with a nationwide observation of remembering the Hillsborough dead 25 years after the tragedy, the game kicked off at 15:07 and prior to that a minutes silence was impeccably observed.

Another observation was Brian McDermott took to the field in a tracksuit and spent most of the match in the dug-out with Nigel Gibbs patrolling the technical area. Massimo Cellino has made public comments about preferring a coach over a manager and remarked about the amount of water he normally consumes in the technical area whilst in his usual suit.

Our fans, obviously lifted by the Massimo Cellino takeover were in good voice and a good gathering of the South Stand noisemakers competed with the Kop to raise the decibels. After a dull start, Murphy was denied on 14 minutes when his surge into the box was halted by the Tangerines defender Craig Cathcart.

But seven minutes later Murphy put Leeds in front, the midfielder who hadn't scored since the opening day of the season pounced when McCormack fed the former Crewe man from Matt Smith's knock down and initially Murphy looked like to have fatally delayed his shot but instead he expertly pulled the ball back onto his left foot before coolly finishing past Matt Gilkes in the Pool goal.

Murphy has endured a difficult time since his opening day winner against Brighton and recent revelations about his salary on a pirate radio station by a "tired and emotional" Cellino surely heaped more pressure on his shoulders? but like on that sunny day in August he was lively and running the show albeit on a showery April afternoon.

Leeds might have been 2-0 up when McCormack headed wide from Wootton's cross. However Blackpool finished the half stronger and a team with more confidence than one with just two wins in 25 matches would have surely gone into the break level as Bishop, Goodwillie and Basham all went close for the visitors.

The second half was pretty scrappy and drab and the first action to rouse the crowd came on 65 minutes when McDermott made the admittedly bizarre decision to replace Matt Smith with Noel Hunt. Hunt has endured an even more torrid time than Murphy in his inaugural season at Elland Road, Cellino also made allegations about his salary which have since been dismissed as inaccurate, unfortunately his arrival was greeted by a chorus of boos from sections of the crowd.

Although the Irishman has not set the world alight in front of goal, he can claim an assist on 73 when he flicked on Lees' long ball down the right channel expertly into the path of Murphy who finished the move from a difficult angle past Gilkes to put the game beyond doubt.

We couldn't find a third to put a gloss finish on the result, but the win puts us on the magical figure of 50 points so survival is surely guaranteed on the first anniversary of Brian McDermott's appointment, a milestone both he and many of us thought he might not see.

Photo: Action Images

TimWhelan added 10:03 - Apr 13 Some of our defending made me nervous, despite having five defenders they didn't seem to know what they were supposed to be doing. I thought we were going to throw away our good start during that spell late in the first half when Blackpool had a series of chances, but thankfully they were too bad to take advantage. But at least were almost mathematically safe, and another season of Championship football awaits.

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