Town completed their away fixtures with a 1-1 draw which all but relegates Leeds United. Alan Lee equalised Richard Cresswell's first half goal with four minutes remaining, but the 30-minute interruption in play caused by a pitch invasion by the home supporters will gain most of the headlines.

Boss Jim Magilton took control of his side for the 50th time but was forced to lead his team from the directors' box as he began his two-match touchline ban. The Blues manager made only one change to the side which drew at Norwich last week, Alan Lee returning in place of Jon Walters.

Town started strongly and Owen Garvan hit a 25-yard strike which was deflected wide. The first Leeds chance came in the 10th minute, David Healy shooting over from the edge of the area having been teed up by Richard Cresswell.

Two minutes later, Leeds went in front. Healy was sent away on the right of the penalty area and hit a shot across Shane Supple. The Town keeper pushed the ball out but Cresswell reacted quickest and nodded the ball into the net. A fan ran onto the pitch to celebrate with the stewards allowing him to jump back into the stand before they could get anywhere near him and didn't appear to attempt to make any attempt to eject him.

Scorer Cresswell headed another opportunity wide in the 22nd minute, prior to Leeds keeper Casper Ankergren pawing an Owen Garvan cross into the path of Jaime Peters, but the Canadian couldn't find space for a shot.

Dan Harding, a Leeds fan and a former Whites player, struck a fine right-foot shot, which Ankergren tipped over the bar. Soon after, Alan Thompson picked up the game's first yellow card for a foul on David Wright.

Franny Jeffers had a shot on target blocked in the 34th minute as the Blues had the vast majority of the possession but without creating too many chances.

In injury time, a superb Garvan long pass played in Jeffers on the right but the former Everton and Arsenal man's shot was saved.

The first half performance was not dissimilar to several of Town's away from home of late — lots of possession but too little threat in front of goal.

No changes at the break and the Blues started the second half strongly. On 47 Garvan played in Jeffers, who put the ball past Ankergren and into the net but the linesman's flag had been raised.

Alan Lee headed a Roberts cross wide when he probably should have hit the target, before Hayden Foxe was booked for a foul on Fabian Wilnis. Gary Roberts joined him in the book as he took the freekick, apparently for taking it before the referee had blown his whistle. Roberts's retake was aimed straight at the keeper.

As the hour mark approached, Shane Supple pushed away a David Healy shot from distance after an error by Dan Harding. On 62 George O'Callaghan replaced Gavin Williams in the centre of midfield.

Roberts was close to a goal two minutes later as the Blues continued to dominate, the former Accrington man sending a half-volley just over the bar from Alan Lee's deep cross from the right. A minute later, Cresswell headed a corner wide before Jon Walters took over from Franny Jeffers alongside Lee.

On 68 a Lee flick played in Walters on the left of the area, but Ankergren pushed the former Chester man's shot around the post. The corner was cleared but the Blues quickly regained possession, Walters sending a low ball across the six-yard box, narrowly too far in front of Lee.

Robbie Blake was yellow-carded for time-wasting, then Garvan was cautioned for a foul on Eddie Lewis, the American eventually making his way off the pitch after a lengthy delay. Billy Clarke replaced Jaime Peters.

Cresswell headed another corner over, then Clarke scuffed a shot to Ankergren after good work from Harding. Soon after, another fan ran onto the field, exchanged a high five with Ankergren and then made his way off the field just as a single steward made a move towards him.

With four minutes of normal time remaining, and with Hull City a goal up at Cardiff, the Blues scored. Gary Roberts whipped in a corner and Alan Lee headed across the keeper and into the net. The Town players celebrated in front of their supporters.

Town went looking for a winner and Walters and Clarke broke away, only for the linesman's flag to be raised, Clarke kicking the ball forward and perhaps not hearing the whistle and picking up a yellow card for time-wasting.

Before referee Mick Jones could issue the card, another fan managed to run on the pitch and shoved Clarke, Walters breaking the incident up before stewards could intervene, the fan eventually being led away.

Foxe shot wide for the Whites, prior to the fourth official announcing six minutes of injury time, although more accurately it was in the main time wasted by Leeds players while they were in front.

The home side threw everything forward, but it was the Blues who came closest to scoring. First Roberts broke and played in Walters to his left, with Clarke available to his right, but the January signing's effort went wide.

Lee was played in by Roberts but the impressive Ankergren pushed his strike round the post. Soon after, George O'Callaghan curled the ball goalwards from the edge of the area and Leeds again had Ankergren to thank. From the resultant corner, Alex Bruce headed home but the referee had spotted a foul.

Play moved to the other end and, as the ball went out of play, a large number of Leeds fans in the North-East Corner of the ground ran onto the pitch, the players hastily beating a retreat down the tunnel on the opposite side of the pitch.

The invading supporters quickly made their way to the South-East Corner and the Town supporters. There was brief concern at the lack of police and stewards in that area of the ground — most of whom were by now in front of the South Stand to prevent those fans from invading - but the police formed a line which prevented the 400 or so Leeds supporters from getting to the Blues fans.

Missiles were thrown, both from the pitch and from the South Stand, while there are reports of greater levels of violence against Town supporters who left the ground at the invasion — some thought the game had ended — and were waiting for the majority of fans to join them by the coaches. A steward was also carried away from in front of the South-East Corner, apparently on a stretcher.

Repeated announcements asked fans to leave the pitch to allow the game to continue and after almost exactly 30 minutes, the match restarted with a corner. Town eventually cleared the danger and after a Shane Supple freekick and just under a minute after the restart, referee Mick Jones blew his whistle for the final time.

The players started to rush off, but with no further pitch invasion the Town team came over to applaud their travelling fans.

Leeds now require a victory next week, Hull to lose and a gain of nine goals, and are therefore to all intents and purposes relegated. The various pitch invasions and the fan's assault on Billy Clarke could well see Dennis Wise's club start their League One campaign with a points deduction.

The final invasion was probably the result of Leeds supporters seeing fans run onto the pitch all but unchallenged on the first few occasions. Had the earlier invaders been removed, then it is unlikely that the situation would have escalated as it did throughout the afternoon.

As for the match itself, Town were probably the better team and looked more likely to score a second goal than the home side. While chances were rare in the first half, after the break the Blues created enough to claim all three points.

Overall though, the game will be most remembered for the late interruption and Leeds' drop into the third tier of English football for the first time.

Town: Supple, Wright, Harding, Wilnis, Bruce, Garvan, Williams (O'Callaghan 62), Peters (Clarke 74), Roberts, Lee, Jeffers (Walters 67). Unused: Price, Richards. Att: 31,269.

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Photo: Action Images

OwainG1992 added 08:04 - Apr 28 Typical Leeds scum.
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