West Ham United 0 - 2 Leeds United

	Robbie Keane enjoys his opening goal (PhilCole/Allsport)

With a place in the Champions League semi-final already booked, and the probability of nicking third place in the Premiership growing more likely after yesterday's win, O'Leary should have been all smiles after a week's work well done.

But his afternoon was sullied by Batty's 49th-minute dismissal. The Leeds midfielder robustly tackled Cole, taking ball and man, but Cole fell to the ground, rubbing his head as though contact had been made by Batty's elbow.

O'Leary said: 'I thought it was disgraceful. I don't think he made any contact. David says he didn't. I don't condone bad tackles and elbows but no contact was made. With the force David was running at, he would have hurt Cole if he had made contact but Cole jumped straight back up.'

O'Leary declined to directly accuse Cole, but added: 'I've said what I've said and you must put whatever interpretation on it that you want.'

Leeds will now have to appeal to referee Graham Poll to study a video replay if they want the red card rescinded, but O'Leary was not holding out too much hope for a favourable decision from the FA's much-heralded video panel.

He said: 'I haven't got a clue what will happen. They use that video when they want to. But I think this ref is a big enough man to change his mind. He's not an arrogant type.'

It was a sour note on an afternoon that initially promised peace and goodwill all round.

Rio Ferdinand was making his first return to West Ham since his £18million move last November and admitted to being nervous. After all, Upton Park was an arena of hate when Paul Ince returned with Manchester United.

It was, however, the most benign return imaginable for Ferdinand. There was only warmth and applause but, perhaps, with one win in seven games, Harry Redknapp might prefer the old, unreconstructed West Ham.

The crowd's generosity was replicated by Ferdinand's former teammates. Igor Stimac was lax at the back when Ferdinand headed in Leeds' second goal on 47 minutes. Stimac appeared to head the ball against Ferdinand before it bounced past Shaka Hislop.

Certainly Ferdinand seemed a mite embarrassed by the fuss caused by the small mob of celebrating Leeds' play-ers. Redknapp said: 'I'm not at all sure that Rio knew much about

But it was at the back that Ferdinand looked most impressive. Indeed, the open goal he missed on 32 minutes was an indication that he is not quite yet a footballing renaissance man, but his measured defence is making the move look better business by the day.

His task was considerably eased, though, when Frederic Kanoute limped off after 10 minutes, unable to ignore the hip injury that had been troubling him all week. Bulgarian Svetoslav Todorov was never going to pose anything like the same threat.

West Ham then lost John Moncur with a knee injury after 36 minutes but they never looked like threatening the assurance of this young Leeds team.

The tone had been set as early as eight minutes into the game. Harry Kewell delivered a magnificent far-post cross, Ian Harte headed the ball back across goal and Robbie Keane prodded in from close range.

Lee Bowyer was mighty close to adding a third on 76 minutes when, one-on-one with Hislop, his desperate efforts to nudge the ball across the line were denied by Hayden Foxe.