Bristol Rovers 0 Leeds United 4: Leeds showed the sort of finishing power that has helped to propel their seemingly inevitable march towards promotion as they handed Bristol Rovers their fourth defeat on the bounce.

Jermaine Beckford netted once in each half, either side of a goal from strike partner Sam Vokes, with substitute Tresor Kandol getting in on the act late on.

The win, coming off the back of their first defeat of the season at the weekend, left the leaders four points clear at the top of League One.

The visitors were in control for most of the night after Beckford found space to fire them into a ninth-minute lead.

The closest the home side came was when skipper Stuart Campbell's 25-yarder flew up off keeper Casper Ankergren and hit the underside of the bar in the opening period.

Once Vokes turned home Leeds' second goal 10 minutes after the interval and Beckford completed his brace, there never looked like being a way back for Bristol Rovers, who conceded a fourth three minutes from time when Kandol rounded things off.

Rovers made three changes to the side that had started the 2-1 weekend home defeat by Yeovil.

Andy Williams was given his first league start of the campaign, operating down the right in place of Mark Wright, who was on the bench. Defender Danny Coles had tweaked a knee in training and was replaced by Steve Elliott, while midfielder Dominic Blizzard came in for Chris Lines, who had been carried off against the Glovers.

Michael Doyle pierced the Rovers rearguard with a fine pass that saw Beckford running into space, and he promptly clipped a cool finish across Mikkel Andersen and into the net off the inside of the post for his ninth goal of the campaign.

There were more alarm bells ringing at the back for Rovers moments later when Beckford again threatened to break clear.

Byron Anthony collided with Andersen as the keeper came racing out of his area, but the Leeds striker had been forced wide and could only find the side-netting from a tight angle as team-mates waited for a pass in front of goal.

Rovers tried to respond – and thought they had equalised in the 22nd minute. Campbell met a half-clearance 25 yards out and let fly with a shot that bounced just in front of Ankergen before flying up off the Dane to strike the bar before bouncing down. But the home side's claims that the ball had crossed the line were dismissed by referee Andy Woolmer.

Chris Dickson was the next Bristol Rovers man to try his luck, but Ankergen got down to parry the striker's low shot then grabbed the ball at the second attempt.

The Pirates were doing their best to try to find a way back into the game without too much joy, and Leeds still looked capable on the break. Robert Snodgrass issued a reminder with a fierce 30-yarder that flew a couple of yards high and wide of Andersen's post.

And there was an escape for the Pirates in stoppage time when Andersen spilled a cross from Bradley Johnson – but fortunately for the home side, Beckford had slipped to the ground, allowing them time to clear.

Leeds were looking to extend their lead after the interval and Andersen had to catch an angled shot from Vokes before getting involved again, grasping the ball on the floor as Johnson nodded towards goal from a corner.

And the Yorkshire club doubled the margin in the 55th minute. Snodgrass made progress down their right and got the better of Aaron Lescott before clipping over a cross which was turned home by on-loan Wolves marksman Vokes.

Bristol Rovers were finding it hard to hold the ball up front and give themselves a platform to build from. And all too often, their final pass let them down as Leeds continued to look secure at the back and a danger going forward.

Andersen was called into action again to beat out a shot from Jonathan Howson and Snodgrass curled a follow-up attempt over the bar. Campbell was only a yard too high with a well-struck free-kick from 28 yards, but the Pirates were to fall further behind in the 65th minute when Beckford stylishly converted his second.

Howson provided an angled ball out towards the left of the Rovers box and as Beckford cut inside, he left the hapless Anthony for dead as he rounded the centre-back before coolly slotting past Andersen.

And the same combination provided another chance for the marksman to get his hat-trick, but Beckford's angled 20-yarder whistled narrowly wide. Williams had not given up the cause and cut in from the right before curling a left-footed shot just over, but it was one of the all too rare occasions that the visitors' back line looked like being pierced.

Leeds were far from finished and added a fourth in the closing stages when two substitutes combined. Max Gradel supplied a cross and Kandol was ideally placed to turn it home from close range.