The high-flying Hammers kept their European dreams alive as they ended a nervy night in fifth place following this victory over a lively Leeds United side who paid the price for their forlorn finishing.

David Moyes had watched on anxiously as his team both survived an early tempest and weathered a second half storm, but where the visitors failed capitalise upon their superior possession or legitimately find the net with their countless chances, first-half goals from Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson ensured that the Hammers bagged all three points.

East London Advertiser: West Ham United's Jesse Lingard celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021.West Ham United's Jesse Lingard celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Midway through the opening period, Lingard fired home the rebound after his penalty had been saved and then Dawson joined the on-loan Manchester United star on the five-goal mark with a thumping header as the half-hour mark approached.

Last Saturday’s defeat at runaway leaders Manchester City had only been the Hammers second loss in a dozen Premier League outings since Christmas and kicking-off in seventh-spot – four places and 10 points above the visitors – Moyes made two changes.

Fit-again, first-choice ‘keeper Łukasz Fabiański returned in place of injured Darren Randolph, while Saïd Benrahma came in for substitute Ben Johnson as the Scot opted to go with a flat back-four.

Following a minute’s applause held in memory of former Hammers boss Glenn Roeder, who passed away last Sunday aged 65, Leeds were firmly on the front foot, forcing an early corner before Helder Costa then unleashed a rising, angled effort that flew inches over the top.

And with less than seven minutes on referee Mike Dean’s watch, the visitors had netted twice only for Tyler Roberts to see his low shot ruled out for a marginal offside following a VAR review, before Patrick Bamford’s tap-in was disallowed after Raphinha had carried the ball out of play a split-second earlier.

Defeat against Aston Villa last weekend had signalled the Yorkshiremen’s third loss in four matches and, arriving in the capital to face a Hammers team that had already beaten his side at Elland Road in December, Marcelo Bielsa made just one switch as fit-again Kalvin Phillips replaced Pascal Struijk.

Leeds lively start continued as Bamford’s deflected effort looped into Fabiański’s gloves, while at the other end, West Ham barely got into the final third during a barren opening quarter-hour for the men in Claret & Blue.

On 18 minutes, though, the Hammers did finally threaten, when lone-striker Michail Antonio whipped a left-wing cross towards the far post, where the disappointed Tomáš Souček uncharacteristically headed wide.

East London Advertiser: Leeds United's Liam Cooper (left) and West Ham United's Michail Antonio battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021.Leeds United's Liam Cooper (left) and West Ham United's Michail Antonio battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

But following their sluggish start, Moyes boys did finally splutter into life midway through the half, when Lingard embarked upon a probing run inside the Leeds penalty area, where Luke Ayling clumsily upended him.

After dusting himself down and having a brief debate with skipper Declan Rice, who had converted the Hammers last penalty against another Yorkshire outfit Sheffield United, the on-loan Old Trafford wide boy placed the ball on the spot.

And, although the low penalty kick was fired far too close to Illan Meslier, the French ‘keeper still found the shot too hot to handle and he was powerless to prevent Lingard from following-up to redeem himself by rifling the rebound into the net.

When Antonio was upended as the half-hour mark approached, Aaron Cresswell’s 20-yard free-kick was deflected behind for a corner, which the Hammers left back then floated to the far post, where the outnumbered Ayling saw Dawson head home as Souček formed an orderly queue behind him.

By now, Leeds early grip had dramatically loosened allowing Lingard to fire beyond the far angle from range, while Benrahma curled over the top before then embarking on a mazy run that climaxed with another 18-yader that Meslier shepherded aside for a corner.

As the interval approached, another Cresswell corner saw the near post rattle but this time it was merely the thud of Souček painfully crashing into the woodwork in his fruitless pursuit of the cross and that same piece of timber was rocking again in stoppage time, when Dawson raced in to meet another flag-kick from the No.3 with a downward header that thumped onto the base of the right-hand upright.

Two-down, Bielsa made a double-switch at the break as Jack Harrison and Ezgjan Alioski replaced Costa and Mateusz Klich for the restart and that reshuffle almost paid instant dividends for the Leeds boss but Bamford curled agonisingly wide after giving Issa Diop the slip and then Raphinha’s acrobatic effort was spectacularly tipped over the top by the alert Fabiański.

In an action-packed start to the second period, Phillips was also booked for upending Pablo Fornals, who responded by sending a dipping 30-yard volley onto Meslier’s crossbar and after Raphinha’s shot flew inches wide, Bielsa made his third and final switch of the night by introducing Rodrigo at the expense of Roberts.

East London Advertiser: Leeds United's Raphinha attempts an overhead kick during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021.Leeds United's Raphinha attempts an overhead kick during the Premier League match at the London Stadium, London. Picture date: Monday March 8, 2021. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Still Raphinha tried to find the net and still the £17m Brazilian failed, this time seeing his vicious 15-yarder parried by Fabiański as it sizzled through the cold early-March night with a quarter of the contest remaining.

After Jarrod Bowen stepped from the bench to replace Benrahma for the final 20 minutes, Bamford negligently sent Raphinha’s inch-perfect pass high into the dark Stratford skies from just six yards and that, effectively, ended any hope of Leeds regaining any kind of foothold in the game.

Lingard was cautioned for kicking the ball away as West Ham tried to gather their thoughts against a side, who had unleashed 17 shots at the home goal and, after Dawson had cleared Vladimír Coufal’s inadvertent deflection off the line, Johnson replaced Lingard to shore up the wobbling home defence for the final few minutes to leave the Hammers in that fifth-place as they head to second-place Manchester United on Sunday evening.

West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Cresswell, Dawson, Diop, Rice, Souček, Fornals, Lingard (Johnson 87), Benrahma (Bowen 73), Antonio.

Unused subs: Martin, Trott, Balbuena, Lanzini, Noble, Odubeko.

Leeds United: Meslier, Cooper, Ayling, Dallas, Llorente, Roberts (Rodrigo 60), Costa (Harrison h/t), Klich (Alioski h/t), Raphinha, Phillips, Bamford.

Unused subs: Caprile, Davis, Berardi, Poveda, Jenkins, Huggins.

Booked: Phillips (49), Lingard (79)

Referee: Mike Dean

East London Advertiser: West Ham United celebrated International Women's DayWest Ham United celebrated International Women's Day (Image: West Ham United)