Striker Don Goodman returned to haunt the club he supported as a youngster and
send Wolves into their first semi-final for 17 years.
Goodman was the goalscoring hero in the 82nd minute, but goalkeeper Hans
Segers ended a 20-month nightmare to help book the Molineux side's last-four
spot with a dramatic penalty save in the dying minutes.
Leeds had dominated virtually the entire game, enjoying the vast majority of
possession, but they failed to find the breakthrough and ultimately paid the
price.
The result is certain to keep under-fire Wolves boss Mark McGhee in a job for
the time being - he was being tipped for the axe following his side's slide down
the First Division table.
The sleeping Midlands giants had lost three FA Cup ties to Leeds during the
1970s, but this was sweet revenge, with Goodman grabbing part of the limelight
against his home town club.
Leeds had spurned a catalogue of chances going into the closing 10 minutes,
with Wolves having barely ventured into Leeds territory during the second half.
But then a Carl Robinson through-ball split the Leeds defence and this allowed
Goodman, only in the side after shaking off a calf injury, to race around the
back of the rearguard and slot an angled seven-yard shot over on-rushing keeper
Nigel Martyn.
But as the thousands of travelling Wanderers fans started dreaming of the
semi-finals and a potential trip to Wembley, there was even more drama to come.
With just over two minutes left on the clock, Leeds' Dutch striker and leading
scorer Jimmy Hasselbaink powered forward into the box and was eventually brought
down by substitute Robbie Keane.
The young Irish midfielder, who had only replaced striker Steve Bull eight
minutes earlier, appealed in vain to Dorset referee Paul Durkin who had
instantly pointed to the spot.
Hasselbaink, with 14 goals to his credit this season, then stepped up for the
penalty and looked odds on to make it 15 with a curling right foot shot, but
Segers dived full stretch to his left to push the ball round the post.
The keeper was only recalled to the side on Wednesday after 20 months on the
sidelines due to regular number one Mike Stowell having been laid low with a
stomach bug.
For the Dutchman it was a save to savour after match-fixing allegations which
have blighted his life over the last couple of years.
Segers was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing and despite a late Leeds
flurry, he was able to celebrate the end of those tumultuous times by helping
Wolves into the semi-finals.
Until Goodman's goal they had struggled to test Martyn, Leeds' skipper on the
day. Portuguese midfielder Bruno Ribeiro had hacked a clearance off the toes of
Steve Bull in the opening seconds and Dougie Freedman shot high over the bar in
the seventh minute.
It was Leeds who should have opened the scoring in the first half as a Rod
Wallace angled shot was agonisingly wide of the right hand post, while
Australian international Harry Kewell's drive from 12 yards forced Segers into
another superb save.
Leeds could argue they should have been awarded an earlier penalty in the 30th
minute when former Bradford defender Dean Richards appeared to bundle over
Wallace inside the box, but on this occasion Durkin waved away the appeals.
Kewell then struck a delightful 20-yard curler in the 35th minute that was
just over the bar, while three minutes later a Wallace hooked effort from six
yards was cleared by Wolves skipper Keith Curle.
Segers again saved bravely at the feet of Wallace in the opening seconds of
the second period after he had been put through by Hasselbaink, before Goodman
then blazed over the side netting from close range after a mistake by Lucas
Radebe.
Leeds continued to pile on the pressure as Wolves struggled to get out of
their own half, but the frustration was growing on the faces of the United
players as they resorted to several long-range pot-shots.
Robert Molenaar and Alfie Haaland both spurned chances for Leeds and within
minutes Goodman, a former ball boy at Elland Road, grabbed the game-stealing
goal, before Segers added to Wolves' glory with his stunning save.
Teams
Leeds (0) 0 Wolverhampton (0) 1
Leeds: Martyn, Hiden, Molenaar, Radebe, Harte, Halle, Haaland,
Ribeiro (Kelly 61), Kewell, Wallace, Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Hopkin, Bowyer, Wetherall, Beeney.
Booked: Ribeiro.
Wolverhampton: Segers, Muscat, Williams, Curle, Richards, Naylor,
Robinson, Osborn, Goodman, Bull (Keane 78), Freedman.
Subs Not Used:Simpson, Atkins, Roberts, Stowell.
Booked: Muscat.
Goals: Goodman 82.
Att: 39,902
Ref: P A Durkin (Portland).