National Football League

Leeds stuns Man United in FA Cup

Published Jan. 3, 2010 3:22 p.m. ET

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Fallen English power Leeds dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory Sunday, condemning the 11-time winners to a third-round defeat for the first time in 26 years.

Jermaine Beckford scored his 20th goal of the season after latching on to Johnny Howson's 50-meter (yard) pass in the 19th minute to give third-tier club Leeds its first victory at Old Trafford since 1981.

Since Alex Ferguson took charge in 1986, Man United had never lost in the FA Cup to lower-league opposition. And United hadn't been beaten in the third round since Ron Atkinson's FA Cup holders lost to third-tier club Bournemouth in 1984.

Ferguson feared an upset against Leeds and started with first-choice strikers Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, but neither seriously troubled goalkeeper Casper Ankergren.

Even the appearance of substitute Michael Owen in the 69th minute couldn't provide a spark, the striker scuffing an immediate chance to save United.

Beckford skewed wide in the 78th, missing a chance to kill off the match and instead setting up a nervy finale for the 9,000 traveling Leeds fans.

"It's an unbelievable, tremendous result - it's been a long time coming," Leeds captain Richard Naylor said. "I'm really proud. We dug in when we had to."

Leeds tops League One by eight points but is 43 places below United, which is second in the standings after winning the last three Premier League titles.

Leeds was a major power in the Premier League at the start of the century, reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2001, before the club gambled on qualifying for Europe's top competition every year by investing heavily through borrowing against future success.

The team failed to qualify for the Champions League the following season and the club's financial implosion began, leading to relegation from the top flight in 2004.

Leeds was relegated to the third tier for the first time in its history in 2007 after being docked 10 points for entering financial administration with debts of 35 million pounds (then $69.7 million).