Wanderers are no longer the "surprise guys" of the Premiership, according to Sam Allardyce.

"Surprise isn't the word now," the proud manager said after seeing his unlikely table toppers maintain their magnificent unbeaten start by frustrating Leeds at Elland Road.

"I was surprised at Leicester, yes. But this is becoming the norm for us. Our form, our tactics, the way we play, confidence high, commitment from players and - people tend to forget - we've got some quality as well and some pace and some goalscorers.

Allardyce, forced to rest Ricardo Gardner after his World Cup exertions and seeing Paul Warhurst and Colin Hendry fail morning fitness tests to join Djibril Diawara and Nicky Southall on the casualty list, watched in delight as Wanderers passed the first searching examination of their squad strength.

"This was as good as anything we've done this season," he insisted. "The fact that they were tested at squad level was a big bonus for us. We had five players we couldn't select and to get a nil-nil at Elland Road was a fantastic result for us."

Wanderers looked in serious trouble when Jussi Jaaskelainen scuffed a goal kick straight to £12 million striker Robbie Keane in the 89th minute but Allardyce was relieved to see his keeper atone for the error.

"I had Bo Hansen shouting on the bench 'Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!' and I think all our hearts were in our mouths, especially the fans behind that goal," the relieved manager admitted.

"Robbie Keane is a very good goalscorer but Jussi made up for his mistake with a first class save. He stood his ground and didn't do anything rash. He kept his composure and made Robbie Keane work very hard to put the ball in the net.

"We will calculate the enormity of the save as the season goes on because that has given us a very valuable point."

Allardyce had every justification for claiming Wanderers "marshalled Leeds very well" and pointed to numerous first half excursions to illustrate the point that they gave the home side as good as they got.

"We had some good adventures into the opposition's half," he reckoned, "four or five corners, three or four free-kicks and a couple of half chances in the first half, which was pleasing. We knew Leeds would force the pace (in the second) but I don't think it was absolutely desperate defending. Everybody did what they knew they had to do and stood up very well to a top side in the Premiership.

"The performances of the players who came in - Gareth (Farrelly) on his first start in the Premiership and Henrik Pedersen, who was a bigger threat than Ricardo Gardner has been in the first two or three games - meant we didn't look any weaker than we did against Liverpool, Middlesbrough or Leicester. And that shows the squad is there when it needs to be used."

The manager, who praised full-backs Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton for cancelling out the threat from Harry Kewell, reserved special praise for Frandsen, who assumed the midfield holding role in which Warhurst had been so impressive and influential. "The way Paul has been playing in the last three games, he has been outstanding for us but I felt Per Frandsen was our best midfield player, without a shadow of a doubt.

"And the the entire back four was marvellous again.

"Leeds had two clear-cut chances - one from our own misfortune which we gave to them, another by their own good play. I don't think that's too bad!"