HOW fitting that Leeds United made short work of struggling Oxford United on the shortest day of the year.

It was a long winter solstice afternoon for the U’s as the Whites coasted to a 4-0 win to keep on the heels of Championship leaders Sheffield United.

It was dominant Leeds’ ninth successive win at a windswept Elland Road while Oxford slipped into the bottom three after a chastening defeat.

Only visiting goalkeeper Jamie Cumming prevented Leeds winning by a landslide prompting Oxford coach Craig Short, who began his football career with Pickering Town and Scarborough, to declare “Leeds are the best I’ve seen this year, by a long way,”

Short took charge for the afternoon, with new Oxford boss Gary Rowett watching from the stands having succeeded the sacked Des Buckingham only the day before the game.

He set Oxford up in a 4-5-1 formation but Leeds steamed ahead on nine minutes with a blistering counter-attack.

Oxford’s first meaningful attack broke down, Manor Solomon eluded three defenders in a rapid transition and crossed perfectly for fellow winger Dan James to slide in the opener.

Cumming made smart stops from James and Joel Piroe, while Brenden Aaronson, Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell went close from distance as Leeds bossed the game.

Przemyslaw Placheta wasted Oxford’s best chance, shooting wide when well-placed but there was no way back for the visitors after Jayden Bogle doubled Leeds’ lead on 57 minutes after James and Aaronson opened up a creaking defence.

Ten minutes later Oxford surrendered possession cheaply, the advancing Piroe putting through Aaronson to calmly extended the lead.

Leeds were all over their yellow-shirted opponents at this stage and wrapped up their biggest win of the season on 67 minutes, Solomon thumping the ball past Cumming to complete a fine afternoon for the Israeli winger.

That was Solomon’s last kick as Leeds boss Daniel Farke, with the game won, made multiple substitutions. One of the replacements, Largie Ramazani, missed a couple of good chances as Leeds continued to cut Oxford apart.

The busy Aaronson was also given a breather and the man who took over the number ten role from the American, Willie Gnonto, put in a sparkling cameo to emphasis Leeds’ squad strength.

All the Championship’s top four won so Leeds need to translate their home form to the road with games at Stoke and Derby, both clubs in the lower half of the table, next before they tackle Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road on New Year’s Day.

Farke said: “It was the perfect way to start the festive days. An important win, impressive scoreline and performance. Our claim was to win but during such a busy period, the storm, difficult today to deliver such a performance. I’m quite delighted.

“We could have scored a few more in the first half, Largie [Ramazani] had great chances to score a couple more but overall important for us to return with a clean sheet, also good for the goal difference.”