REGULAR Leeds United watchers won’t be surprised that their team took it right down to the wire before clinching automatic promotion from League One.

But Saturday’s high drama was the most gripping episode in the 2009/10 Elland Road soap opera.

A man and a goal down with barely more than half an hour of the season remaining, United dug deep and somehow emerged 2-1 victors.

At one stage or another rivals Millwall, Swindon and Charlton all occupied that second promotion spot behind champions Norwich on a rollercoaster afternoon.

But come the final whistle it was the Whites, backed by a wall of noise, who crawled over the finishing line into the Championship.

Leeds went into the game knowing victory over the Pirates would achieve their objective. If they had nerves they didn’t show it, dominating from the start with Max Gradel going close to an early goal.

But a moment of madness by the young Ivorian turned the game on its head. He clashed with left-back Daniel Jones after 35 minutes and received a straight red card from referee Graham Salisbury. Gradel lost it, refusing to go and had to be man-handled away by Jermaine Beckford and Michael Doyle.

Tension kicked in with feelings running high, on and off the pitch. It was a powder keg threatening to blow up in front of United and their supporters.

United’s task became even harder a minute after half-time when, in a rare raid, Rovers’ deep cross from the left was not dealt with by the home defence. Jo Kuffour was able to knock it back for Darryl Duffy to apply the finishing touch.

Leeds fans were starting to work out play-off permutations when substitute Jonny Howson made an instant impact, curling a fine shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen.

The equaliser gave Leeds belief and the deafening volume levels went through the roof four minutes later when Andersen made a hash of a throw out and the ball was returned to the box by Bradley Johnson for predator-in-chief Beckford to score the winner with his 31st goal of the season.

How fitting, and inevitable, that it was Beckford that got the crucial goal in what is expected to be his last game before moving on.

Named captain for the day, he gave a mature leadership performance and richly deserved the injury-time ovation he received from fans who have not always appreciated his value. His record of 85 goals in 130 starts in a Leeds shirt speaks for itself.

Leeds United: Higgs, Hughes, Collins, Bromby, Lowry (Howson 54), Gradel, Doyle, Kilkenny, Johnson, Becchio (Watt 87), Beckford (Snodgrass 90).

Subs (not used): Ankergren, Grella, McSheffrey.

Bristol Rovers: Andersen, Regan, Coles, Anthony, Jones, Reece (Williams 72), Lines, Campbell, Hughes, Duffy (Richardson 79), Kuffour.

Subs (not used): Evans, Wright, Blizzard, Clough, Swallow.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).

Attendance: 38,234.