A home record which showed 12 victories, eight draws and only one defeat was on a par with every club who recorded a top-six finish at the end of the first Premier League season, but the contrast with results away from Elland Road was glaring.

Without the support of their own crowd, Leeds failed to win a single league match during the 1992-93 term and saw their goalkeeper beaten 45 times in away fixtures. Between the first day of the campaign and their visit to Blackburn on Boxing Day, United were able to produce only three clean sheets.

Wilkinson was understandably delighted, then, to see his team secure a 1-0 victory over West Ham during their initial home match of the 1993-94 campaign, a win inspired by both Gary Speed's goal and a reassuring defensive performance.

West Ham's confidence was slightly fragile after their first game of the season ended in a 2-0 defeat to Wimbledon at Upton Park and the club's manager, Billy Bonds, was already starting to fear that the Hammers were suffering from the same affliction that Leeds had carried through the previous term.

"We've got to make ourselves difficult to beat," said Bonds. "We're not going to score many goals this season so the fewer we give away the better."

Among Wilkinson's summer signings was United's future manager David O'Leary, and the improvement in the club's defence had been obvious during the first two games of the term.

Leeds were held to a 1-1 draw at Manchester City three days before West Ham's visit to Elland Road, but City's goal came from one of only two clear chances they created. Such was the Hammers' lack of potency that Speed's 61st-minute effort was enough to record United's maiden victory in front of an eye-catching crowd of 34,588.

Speed produced a well-struck finish after Brian Deane had surged past two markers and opened up the visiting defence, creating an opportunity which he was preparing to strike when Speed applied the finishing touch.

"I was just about to nick the ball past the keeper," joked Deane, whose manager admitted Speed had "interfered well" to poach the game's only goal.

United produced only three shots on target during a scrappy contest but West Ham failed to test John Lukic once and only threatened in the closing minutes when a sudden spurt of pressure saw Colin Foster connect with a corner and drive a header high over the crossbar.

Wilkinson, meanwhile, was able to hand a home debut to recent arrival Noel Whelan, and a young Gary Kelly walked out of Elland Road with the man-of-the-match award after carefully marshalling the right flank throughout the 90 minutes.

United's manager wore a contented look at full-time, but Bonds was left to clutch at straws as he attempted to place a positive spin on a negative performance.

"Elland Road is always a hard place to come to, and a point would have been a great result for us," he said. "But Leeds didn't create very much so I wasn't too displeased."

United: Lukic, Kelly, Dorigo, Batty, Fairclough, O'Leary, Strachan (Newsome 89), Whelan (Wallace 83), Deane, McAllister, Speed. Sub not used: Beeney.

Ends