Pools were given a good work-out in this afternoon's game as a strong Leeds United came to The Vic full of enthusiasm and romped to a 5-0 victory.

Three goals before the break and two after sealed a convincing victory for a dominant Leeds outfit.

Turner's men started brightly, enjoying the opening exchanges of the game but it was the visitors who drew first blood.

With seven minutes on the clock a long ball up field from keeper Shane Higgs pulled Scott Flinders to the edge of his area where he challenged with Luciano Becchio for possession.

The Leeds forward came out on top and put the ball square for Robert Snodgrass who finished off a good run by hitting the ball into an empty net.

And, while Pools enjoyed their fair share of possession in the opening forty-five minutes, the advantage remained with the visitors.

With Evan Horwood lively when pushing on from left back and plenty of running from Fabian Yantorno and Andy Monkhouse, Pools passed the ball around neatly in spells but failed to really test Higgs in the opening half.

Leeds United, on the other hand, came out on top when testing Pools at the back.

With the tempo of the game having dropped as the half progressed, Simon Grayson's men stepped things up as the break approached.

Lloyd Sam sent in a teasing ball from the left which was met by Becchio who sent a cheeky glancing header past Flinders and into the top right corner of the net under little pressure from the home defence.

Five minutes later and Leeds made it 3-0; a free kick on the right wing was squeezed past Horwood for Jonathan Howson to pick up. He lifted the ball into the box where Bradley Johnson rose unmarked to head home and add his name to the scoresheet.

James Brown nicked possession in the final third with a good challenge but saw his low effort save comfortably by Higgs just after the re-start as Pools looked for a boost in the game.

At the other end, Scott Flinders pulled off a great reaction save to deny Johnson from adding his second from close range.

But Leeds were soon back in the swing of things and with 57 minutes on the clock, Sam sent a ball in from the left which was met sweetly by Howson and sent in off the post and into the back of the net to make it 4-0.

Minutes later and Pools went closest to grabbing a goal; a left wing corner from Yantorno found sub Gary Liddle rising in the box and the defender sent a powerful header goalwards only to see it bounce off the crossbar and back into play.

Leeds continued their pressure on goal, not willing to sit back despite their four-goal cushion and there were further chances for Howson who hit over the bar after good work by sub Max Gradel and Snodgrass who sent a low effort from inside the area wide of target.

And the pressure paid when Becchio added his second of the game to make it 5-0 on the day; a good ball in from Snodgrass on the right of the area found Becchio again in good space in the area and again the big forward sent a glancing header past Flinders and into the back of the net.

Pools did look brighter for a spell after the introduction of Adam Boyd and Leon McSweeney as they tested the visiting defence with a couple of efforts - Boyd going closest when he met a Yantorno corner with a flicked header only to nudge it wide of target.

But Turner's men found no reward this afternoon and the game finished 5-0 to Leeds United.

Att: 2691 (1067 Leed United)

Pools: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Hartley (Liddle 55), Horwood, Sweeney, Gamble (Boyd 63), Murray, Monkhouse (Behan 80), Brown (McSweeney 63), Yantorno (Fredriksen 78)
Subs Not Used: Rafferty, Haslam, Larkin, Greulich, Roberts

Leeds United: Higgs, Connolly (Hughes), White, Howson, Collins, Bromby, Snodgrass, Kilkenny (Grella 67), Becchio (Somma 67), Johnson, Sam (Gradel 60)
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Grella, Somma, Lees, Hatfield