Leeds 1 Millwall 1 (1-2 on aggregate)

Neil Harris' second-half strike had sealed the first leg in Millwall's favour, but there were many worried faces among the away contingent when Luciano Becchio slid in to level the aggregate scores at 1-1 just shy of 52 minutes, shortly after Jermaine Beckford failed to score from the spot.

However, they would be the ones planning their trip to the playoff final next Sunday after the midfielder popped up in the box for the vital strike.

Millwall manager Kenny Jackett was under no illusions as to the stiff test that awaited his side in Yorkshire, and it was made no easier by the hamstring pull that sidelined on-loan striker Jason Price on Saturday.

He named Harris and Gary Alexander at the head of a 4-4-2 formation, which featured James Henry, Nadjim Abdou, Adam Bolder and Dave Martin in midfield, and a back four of Andy Frampton, Zak Whitbread, Tony Craig and Alan Dunne.

No one expected Millwall to opt for a finesse game as they protected a slim lead against one of the league's form sides, and Bolder was in the book within two minutes for a tackle on Robert Snodgrass.

Leeds were hardly pulling out of challenges either, and on ten minutes Abdou found himself sprawling after being clattered by Jonathan Howson seconds after he had screamed back to steal the ball from Beckford.

Millwall were determined not to be soft touches in defence, lining up men behind the ball in an effort to protect their advantage. Their approach allowed Leeds to see a lot of the ball, but the home side scarcely had a decent chance to show for their possession until the 23rd minute, when Fabian Delph slid a shot tamely to David Forde after the keeper parried Beckford's strike.

Leeds midfielder Neil Kilkenny's evening ended early when he injured himself charging down Abdou's 27th minute shot. The midfielder soldiered on for a short period before coming off on 35 minutes.

Millwall entered the locker room at half-time with their first-leg lead intact, but knew they would face a fiery foe after the restart. Leeds duly obliged, driving down the away side's throat in the early stages. But it was the referee's whistle that handed the former Premiership powerhouses a major boost just two minutes into the second half.

Andy Frampton looked a bedraggled and bemused figure after Mark Halsey decided he had pulled the shirt of Sam Sodje in a crowded penalty area. Up stepped the free-scoring Jermaine Beckford to bury the inevitable opener, the goal that would springboard Leeds towards a hard-fought comeback in front of their own fans.

Only it never happened. The 34-goal striker swung his boot, and a weak low shot crept into the path of the diving Forde, who watched a subsequent wild follow-up from another white blur surge well over for a goal kick.

To their credit, Leeds kept pushing, and the stadium had its moment of euphoria less than five minutes later. After a swift break from the right, the ball was played into Ben Parker, whose neat ball nipped between Whitbread and Forde into the path of Becchio. Despite the desperate slide of Frampton just behind, the net rippled and Elland Road was bathed in a wave of noise.

Millwall's luck looked spent. Leeds enjoyed their best spell of the game, sweeping forward in waves. Forde stooped to pick up a coin thrown from the crowd. Fans endured a few worrying minutes as Whitbread jarred his neck after being pushed into his own on-rushing keeper. Jackett's brow furrowed as the stretchers were brought onto the pitch.

Whitbread fought on, and so did Millwall. But it seemed unlikely that this effort could possibly bring a goal against a side buoyed by their recent strike and their own roaring fans.

Again, it was a substitution that brought salvation for the Lions. But while it was Neil Harris' introduction that swung the first leg, it was his replacement that helped seal the second.

Just ten minutes after the club's record scorer was swapped for Lewis Grabban, the youngster played a key role in an unexpected equaliser. Breaking a long period of frustration, David Martin swept to the byline on the left and looped a ball to the far end of the box. Grabban turned it into the middle, and Abdou popped up in the perfect position to brush in a low shot that levelled the scores on the night.

The Lions believed again. Leeds supporters stared into the middle-distance, watching the spectre of another season of heartbreak emerge from the floodlit darkness.

Kilkenny's first half replacement Andy Robinson found himself in the book after lashing out after a perceived foul. Bradley Johnson replaced Parker, and grimaced as his blistering strike from distance whistled wide of the post on 88 minutes. Snodgrass was even further from glory as his shot took off harmlessly from the right edge of the area.

Away fans cried out in anguish as six minutes flashed up on the board. Johnson lifted another long shot over from the middle of the area. Fingernails became the dish of the day.

With 94 minutes to go, Grabban had the chance to release the cloying, endless tension. Set free with a flick from the halfway line, he outpaced his marker, and shaped to shoot. His effort was rushed, and over.

Dunne's high challenge drew a retaliatory push from the frustrated Beckford, and produced a booking for both. The clock ticked past 95 minutes. Then 96.

When Craig conceeded a corner with mere seconds to go, Leeds fans dared to hope. Keeper Casper Ankergren strode up into the box, tangled with Forde, and promptly found himself in the referee's book as well. The storybook of Leeds' 2008/9 season slammed shut after nearly 98 minutes of play, and there was to be no fairytale ending.

Millwall rushed to celebrate in front of the delirious near-thousand that travelled north. Next week, the Lions will return to Wembley. A good performance may see them return to the Championship.

Just one more win.

Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Sodje, Naylor, Parker (Johnson 77), Delph, Snodgrass, Howson (Grella 90), Kilkenny (Robinson 35), Beckford, Becchio

Subs Not Used: Lucas, Marques

Booked: Delph, Robinson, Ankergren, Beckford

Goals: Becchio 52

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Whitbread, Craig, Frampton, Henry (Robinson 86), Abdou, Bolder, Martin, Alexander, Harris (Grabban 64)

Subs Not Used: Pidgeley, Barron, Laird

Booked: Bolder, Martin, Dunne, Craig, Abdou

Goals: Abdou 74

Attendance: 37,036