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Millwall's Mark Beevers (left) is congratulated by Millwall's Nadjim Abdou after scoring the opening goal

Mark Beevers and Shaun Williams scored to give Millwall a 2-0 win as Leeds got off to a losing start under Dave Hockaday.

Defender Beevers slid in to convert Lee Martin's cross as Ian Holloway's side took an early lead.

The hosts added a second through Williams' second-half penalty after Lee Gregory was felled by Lewis Cook.

It meant a debut defeat for Hockaday, who was owner Massimo Cellino's surprise choice to take over at Leeds.

Hockaday arrived at Elland Road during a turbulent summer in which the Italian owner made sweeping changes in an effort to reduce the club's debts.

Last season's top scorer Ross McCormack, who scored 29 goals, was sold to Fulham for £11m, while 14 other first-team squad members were sold or released.

Hockaday was appointed as successor to Brian McDermott despite having no managerial experience in league football. Hockaday, 56, was in charge of Forest Green Rovers in the Football Conference from 2009 to 2013.

Massimo Cellino (right) appointed head coach Dave Hockaday (left) as Brian McDermott's successor

Leeds, who finished 15th last season, have recruited largely from clubs in Cellino's native Italy.

Marco Silvestri and Souleymane Doukara, signed from Chievo and Catinia, made their debuts along with striker Nicky Ajose, 22, who joined from Peterborough on August 5.

Leeds had won 11 of their previous 14 opening-day fixtures but they made a poor start to the 2014-15 campaign as Millwall, who finished 19th last season, took the lead in the eighth minute.

A short corner was worked back to Lee Martin and he crossed from the right to find Beevers sliding in to apply the finish.

David Pleat - BBC Radio 5 live "Millwall looked solid and like they could really compete this season, but Leeds on the other hand did not really play as a unit. They had nothing up front and didn't test the Millwall goalkeeper once. Territorially Millwall controlled things for around 70 minutes of the play."

Millwall looked more settled than their opponents in the early exchanges and Beevers twice went close to doubling the hosts' advantage with headers wide from Martyn Woolford corners.

Leeds lacked fluidity but came close to levelling within seconds of the restart when goalkeeper David Forde's fumble gave the ball to Ajose. He played a square pass to Noel Hunt but Alan Dunne cleared the ball away from the empty net.

At the other end, Woolford forced a good save from Silvestri before Nadjim Abdou sliced the rebound over.

Fuller headed wide after Martin's free-kick from the right and Millwall had appeals for a penalty turned down when Woolford went down in the penalty area under pressure from Murphy.

The hosts were awarded a spot-kick with two minutes remaining when Cook, 17, conceded possession before bringing down Gregory, allowing Williams to fire an accurate shot beyond Silvestri from 12 yards.

Millwall manager Ian Holloway:

"We had double their shots on target and we have done that to Leeds United and I am really pleased for my team.

"People win 6-0 and 8-0 on the opening day and go on to have bad seasons so I just want to be consistent for my lads, if I was allowed a bet I would, because our odds to get relegated are a disgrace.

"I just want people to show me and my team some respect. Van Gogh is a decent painter now isn't he? But when he was alive he was just a bloke with half an ear."

Nicky Ajose (left) in action against Millwall's Scott McDonald on his Leeds debut

Millwall manager Ian Holloway steered Millwall to safety last season