Leeds United made light of being without suspended goalkeeper Kiko Casilla as they overpowered Hull 4-0 on Saturday to keep pace with English Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Victory left second-placed Leeds just a point behind the Baggies and, significantly, put them eight clear of Fulham in third.

Only the top two clubs at the end of the regular season are guaranteed automatic promotion to the lucrative Premier League.

The eve of Saturday's game had seen Casilla hit with an eight-match suspension after he was found guilty of using racist language towards Charlton's Jonathan Leko during a Championship match on September 28.

Casilla had denied the charge but an independent regulatory commission found the breach proven.

The Spaniard was also fined £60,000 ($77,000, 70,000 euros) and ordered to attend face-to-face education.

Fallen English giants Leeds, however, did just fine without him at Hull's KCOM Stadium on Saturday.

Stand-in goalkeeper Illan Meslier had little to do, while goals from Luke Ayling and Pablo Hernandez, plus substitute Tyler Roberts' late double, made it four wins in a row for a Leeds side managed by veteran Argentinian boss Marcelo Bielsa.

Defeat extended Hull's poor run of form to 10 Championship games without a win and left them firmly mired in a battle to avoid relegation to English football's third tier.