Sheffield Wednesday's players once more defied logic in the League Cup.
The Owls are on their knees, many of their supporters feeling forced into not going to Hillsborough in a desperate attempt to force chairman/owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club. Of the 7,801 fans at the game, 3,700 were in the away end.
They basically sent out the under-21s against Leeds United – and won on penalties for the second time running in this season's competition.
Granted, they were fortunate to make it to spot kicks, lucky to take the lead through by captain-for-the-night Jamal Lowe and even luckier not to concede a winner to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
GOAL: Sheffield Wednesday celebrate a goal for Jamal Lowe (second left) with the empty Kop in the background (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)placeholder image
GOAL: Sheffield Wednesday celebrate a goal for Jamal Lowe (second left) with the empty Kop in the background (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
But they were owed a bit of fortune after losing Gabriel Otegbayo to yet another injury they cannot afford, and even more so for sme heroic defending.
And when it came to spot kicks, Premier League Leeds could not score from 12 yards, with Calvert-Lewin missing and Ethan Horvath saving twice, whereas the Championship side did not miss.
With nine changes for Leeds – who included Jack Harrison at left-back – and 10 for the Owls, it was basically a Premier League second string against what would be a Championship third string if only Chansiri's mismanagement had allowed them a middle strata of fringe players.
They did not have enough to name a full bench.
EQUALISER: Leeds United's Jayden Bogle (right) (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)placeholder image
EQUALISER: Leeds United's Jayden Bogle (right) (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
The hosts' outfielders had 241 league starts between them, 234 to Jamal Lowe, and none at all between seven players, two of them – Cole McGhee and George Brown, who were making their senior debuts. Such is Wednesday's luck at the moment, that dropped to 235 when Otegbayo went off injured in the first half.
Even with Lowe and goalkeeper Horvath having celebrated their 30th birthdays, Wednesday's average age was only 21.
With two stands closed as Sheffield Wednesday fans boycotted the game, it felt more Football League Trophy than Cup.
For all their changes, Leeds still had plenty of experience and even more of the ball – 80 per cent.
ON A HIGH: Leeds United centre-back Jaka Bijol gets above Owls debutant George Brown (Image: Steve Ellisl)placeholder image
ON A HIGH: Leeds United centre-back Jaka Bijol gets above Owls debutant George Brown (Image: Steve Ellisl)
But some very patient football struggled to break down stubborn resistance in the first half and even an energised second period could bring no more than Jayden Bogle's equaliser.
It took until the 15th minute for Leeds to have a shot – by Brenden Aaronson – strangled at birth by Reece Johnson. It was another couple before Hovrath was forced into a save, Liukas Nmecha catching a dipping ball helped on by Aaronson sweetly.
Nmecha shot over on the turn midway through the half, and Aaronson did not get anough on his far post shot to make Hovrath's save difficult as he latched onto a cross by beutant Noah Okafor.
When Sam Byram found Nmecha, it was Rio Shipston who smothered the shot. Hovrath held Okafor's curling effort at the second attempt.
HANDS ON: IIia Gruev wrestles with Rio Shipston of Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Steve Ellis)placeholder image
HANDS ON: IIia Gruev wrestles with Rio Shipston of Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Steve Ellis)
Those in the Souta Stand who defied the boycott did their best to support the team and little to undermine Chansiri's corrosive regime, but got none of the solidarity the travelling fans had experienced at Wrexham.
"There's only one Chansiri" was the first chant from the sold-out away end once the game kicked off.
There was a big roar when the Owls won their first corner after nine mionuites, another when they were awarded a free-kick in the 18th.
The excitement levels upped again when Jarvis Thornton battled for the ball and fed Lowe to pick out Gui Siqueira, but the cross/shot was blocked.
Lowe won a free-kick when Jaka Bijol fouled him in first-half stoppage time, but curled it just wide.
Leeds' second-half football was more intense but Brown nearly picked them off from a corner, breaking and forcing Darlow into a stretching dsave.
Generally, though, the flow was towards the Leppings Lane End housing the away supporters.
Ilia Gruev curled a low free-kick wide to whistles, and Piroe put another off target. Aaronson was unable to hit the target from a very tight angle.
And then, in the 64th minute, it happened.
Jarvis Thornton's half-volley was well saved by Darlow and Lowe's follow-up was little more than a dutiful token from a tight angle. It went straight at Darlow, who somehow let it squirm over the line.
Leeds had by then brought on England international Calvert-Lewin, born about half a mile down the road, for a debut. Wednesday's debutant striker from the bench was 16-year-old Will Grainger.
Hovrath made a good double save from Okafor, then Gnonto, who minutes later had a piercing run in the area ended by a thudding block.
It took a defender, his place threatened by the signing of James Justin the previous day, to equalise for Leeds.
Booed on because, like Calvert-Lewin, he is a former Sheffield United player, Bogle burst onto a lovely reverse pass from Gnonto in the 81st minute and thumped a shot past Hovrath.
His next shot, two minutes later, was wild.
Calvert-Lewin ought to have spared everyone the shoot-out in the first minute of stoppage time, getting on the end of a low free-kick yards from goal after Johnson pulled back Daniel James. The away fans were celebrating as the ball went wide.
Hovrath denied him again three minutes later, from a Gnonto cross from the left.
Wednesday were at least able to bring on some experienced susbtitutes and Barry Bannan, Ike Ugbo and Liam Palmer all buried their penalties.
In between Hovrath denying Joel Piroe and Sean Longstaff, Calvert-Lewin ballooned over the bar to the delight of the South Stand.
An unlikely cup run has somehow made it to the third round. Leeds will shed few tears at going out of the competition, but the way it happened might concern them.
Sheffield Wednesday: Horvath; Weaver, Otegbayo (Emery 41), McGhee; Siqueira (Palmer 82), Thornton, Fusire, Shipston (Bannan 82), Johnson; J Lowe (Ugbo 65), Brown (Grainger 65).
Unused substitutes: McNeill, Stretch, Evers.
Leeds United: Darlow; Byram (Bogle 70), Bijol, Bornauw, Harrison; Longstaff, Gruev (Stach 70); Aaronson (Gnonto 58), Piroe, Okafor (James 83); Nmecha (Calvert-Lewin 58).
Unused substitutes: Perri, Gudmundsson, Rodon, Gray.
Referee: R Jones (Wirral).