Fans turn on Venables after flop

Sheffield United 2 Leeds United 1

Ugly scenes followed Leeds' removal from the Worthington Cup by their Yorkshire rivals at Bramall Lane last night. Mounted police had to intervene after a pitch invasion by home fans celebrating Sheffield United's victory over their Premiership neighbours prompted Leeds supporters to hurl seats on to the pitch. An Football Association inquiry is likely to follow.

Terry Venables, the Leeds manager, left the dug-out at the end of the match with chants of "Venables out" ringing round the ground and he will want to quickly forget the manner of his side's performance.

Leading somewhat fortuitously at the end of normal time through a bizarre own goal, Leeds somehow contrived to turn victory into defeat in the space of four added minutes.

Even Venables could not have foreseen the bolt from the blue which put the Blades back on terms. Leeds seemed to have weathered a second-half storm when they cleared the ball to the 20-year-old defender Phil Jagielka. From 35 yards out, he unleashed a blistering shot which flew past the bewildered England goalkeeper-in-waiting, Paul Robinson.

"The goal was one of the most stunning strikes I have ever seen,'' Venables said. His opposite number, Neil Warnock, said: "It was an Exocet. But we got what we deserved.''

And with extra time looming Leeds caved in again. Paul Peschisolido picked out the substitute Peter Ndlovu, whose first shot might well have gone in had it not struck his striking partner Wayne Allison.

The Leeds full-back Ian Harte should have hooked the ball away but instead presented it to Ndlovu again, who tapped it gratefully home to put Sheffield United in front.

It was a fine end to a spirited recovery by the home side, who shrugged off the disappointment of falling behind to an own goal which would have haunted the central defender Steve Yates for weeks but for the last gasp drama.

Leeds have been struggling to find their rhythm when Jason Wilcox launched a hopeful chip towards the far post. It looked innocuous, but with no Leeds player anyway near him, Yates managed to turn the ball into his own net.

The goal briefly galvanised Leeds. Wilcox had a penalty appeal turned down when he went to ground under a clumsy challenge by Nick Montgomery and Mark Viduka, who had been ploughing a lonely furrow up front in the absence of the injured Alan Smith, directed a powerful free-kick just wide of a post and forced the Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny to punch a curving angled drive to safety.

The Blades then decided the game could still be won. They dominated the second half but looked destined not to score. Michael Tonge beat the Leeds wall with a curling free-kick which flashed the wrong side of a post and Allison raced clear after Viduka gave the ball away only to shoot tamely at Robinson.

But it was the normally reliable Michael Brown who wasted the best chance to put the Blades back on terms. Peschisolido found him unmarked 10 yards out and he should at least have tested Robinson's reflex instead of placing the ball harmlessly into the goalkeepers midriff. But in injury time Leeds' luck finally deserted them.

"We have just got to learn to keep playing right up to the 94th minute,'' Venables said. But with Leeds supporters again calling for his head, time just is not on Venables' side.

Sheffield United (4-4-2): Kenny; Jagielka, Yates, Murphy, Page; Montgomery (Ndlovu 57), Brown, McCall (Ten Heuvel, 86), Tonge; Asaba (Peschisolido, 63), Allison. Substitutes not used: Doane, Javary.

Leeds (4-4-1-1): Robinson; Mills, Woodgate (Duberry, 63), Lucic, Harte; Barmby, Bakke (McPhail, 70), Bowyer, Wilcox (Bridges, 80); Kewell; Viduka. Substitutes not used: Martyn (gk), Kelly.

Referee: J Winter (Cleveland).