Latics outlast stubborn Leeds

Leeds 3 Wigan 3 (Wigan win 4-2 on penalties)

Not since 1987 have the Latics reached the last 32, yet they face Manchester City in 11 days' time on the back of a penalty shoot-out victory over United at Elland Road.

It was left to Graham Kavanagh to fire home the winning spot-kick, despite the midfielder having failed to score in 36 appearances for Wigan since moving from Cardiff last March.

Prior to that, the preceding 120 minutes had been nailbiting stuff, with Wigan three times taking the lead, only for Leeds to hit back on each occasion.

Yet the drama of the spot-kicks proved their undoing, with David Healy and Rob Hulse blazing over, while Wigan were perfect, with Jimmy Bullard, Gary Teale, two-goal hero Jason Roberts and Kavanagh all on target.

Wigan managed to take a 23rd-minute lead, with a rare strike from Sweden international Andreas Johansson.

Johansson seized on a knock down from Roberts, and although his first effort struck the post while under pressure from Matthew Kilgallon, he forced home the rebound from close range.

Johansson's breakthrough galvanised Leeds, rather than forming the platform for the Latics to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Five minutes from the break, Leeds gained their reward for some industrious football, with poacher Healy on the line to force the ball home after Filan had superbly blocked a downward header from Hulse.

Unbowed, Wigan started the second half in the ascendancy and were back in front in the 49th minute, with Roberts ending a five-game goal drought with his 10th of the season.

Dragging down Teale's right-wing cross, Roberts turned, shrugging aside the attentions of Gary Kelly, before despatching a crisp 20-yard drive into the bottom right-hand corner.

But again that only steeled Leeds' resolve, and after Eddie Lewis had rattled the crossbar from an acute angle, Leeds proceeded to hit back for the second time on the night.

There was no doubt about the 63rd-minute handball decision awarded by referee Graham Poll against Matt Jackson, with the centre-back's right hand catching Kelly's outswinging corner.

That allowed Healy to beat Filan from the spot, with the pace on the ball the undoing of the Australian who had dived the right way.

The drama continued in extra-time, with Roberts heading Wigan back in front in the 103rd minute, yet Leeds refused to lie down.

In the 115th minute, a half-cleared corner to Kelly was thundered home from 25 yards, with the right-back scoring his first goal for three years, and only his fourth in 14-and-a-half seasons with the club.

But despite such valour, Leeds were found wanting at the death, and it was Wigan who marched on.

LEEDS: Sullivan, Kelly, Butler, Kilgallon, Crainey, Miller (Einarsson 87), Walton (Blake 103), Douglas, Lewis (Cresswell 88), Hulse, Healy.

WIGAN: Filan, Chimbonda, De Zeeuw, Jackson, Baines, Teale, Francis (Bullard 77), Kavanagh, Skoko (Joyce 100), Johansson, Roberts.

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).