Leeds 3 Doncaster 2: FA likely to investigate after Leeds’s dramatic comeback ends in chaos

Not only were six police officers standing by as the Doncaster Rovers squad made their way in silence to the team bus but a huddle of photographers and camera crews were hovering, clearly intent on grabbing an interview with a notable figure.

Solving the mystery of who the press were prepared to brave the biting cold wind to speak to would not have been difficult for anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge about football following United’s appointment of Neil Warnock earlier in the day.

But a police escort for the visiting team almost 90 minutes after the match had been scheduled to end? This question will surely have puzzled those hurtling around the rollercoaster that is the main attraction of this year’s Valentine’s Fair.

The answer lay in the extraordinary events that had followed referee Keith Stroud bringing an end to a thrilling but often ill-tempered derby shortly after 5pm.

As the home fans hailed a dramatic late winner by Luciano Becchio, most of the 22 players shook hands before heading for the tunnel.

Tempers had boiled over several times during the closing stages with Rovers duo El-Hadji Diouf and Pascal Chimbonda becoming embroiled in spats with Darren O’Dea and Ross McCormack but, as the players left the field, it seemed an air of calm had returned to LS11.

Becchio swapping shirts with Diouf reinforced this belief only for an almighty brawl to then suddenly erupt in the tunnel.

As the players still on the pitch raced in the direction of the commotion, they were soon followed by four police officers as the plastic covering that guards the tunnel bounced from side to side.

Moments later, another four police officers charged round the pitch and down the tunnel as, according to eye witnesses later, “all hell broke loose”.

With the rumpus taking place out of sight of the 21,181 crowd, it is impossible to know who started what and which players were involved but the reaction of the local constabulary suggested the set-to was a serious one.

Eventually, the warring sides were prized apart and ordered to their respective dressing rooms.

Later, players who had showered and dressed were prevented from leaving the changing room as police probed the events that seem certain to be the subject of a Football Association charge for both clubs once referee Stroud submits his report.

In an attempt to prevent further problems, Leeds officials then took the decision to move the Rovers team bus from its usual position outside the north-west corner of the stadium and closer to the Banqueting Suite to ensure the two sets of players left by separate exits.

Both clubs also ordered their players not to speak to the waiting media, which is why the Rovers players, under the gaze of half a dozen police officers and a dozen or more stewards, left without saying a word.

Fifty or so yards away, a similar scene was played out as the home players emerged from the stadium before climbing into their cars and heading home to bring an end to a truly extraordinary few hours at Elland Road.

The day had begun with the news that Warnock had accepted the offer to become United’s new manager and would be at the game.

After a difficult week that had brought two defeats and a protest march by supporters angry at how the club is being run, the 63-year-old’s appointment had been a rare piece of good news for Leeds.

The hope among the locals was that his presence in the West Stand would bring about an instant on-field improvement.

By 4.15pm, however, any optimism felt by Leeds fans had been swept away by two goals from Rovers substitute Mamadou Bagayoko.

The Mali international’s opening strike had come on 32 minutes after he had seized on Andy Lonergan’s failure to hold onto the ball after racing from his line to cut out Diouf’s pass which was intended for James Hayter.

That left Bagayoko, who had only been on the field for a few minutes, with the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty net.

Rovers deserved to be ahead, not least because earlier Habib Bamogo had struck a post with an outrageous flick of his right boot when facing away from goal.

By half-time, Warnock had seen enough and headed to the home dressing room for a second time in the afternoon despite originally intending to leave team matters to caretaker manager Neil Redfearn.

A tweak of tactics followed with Robert Snodgrass assuming a more central role but Rovers continued to dominate in the early stages of the second half as Hayter thundered a shot against the crossbar after being picked out by the impressive Giles Barnes.

The visitors doubled their advantage on 54 minutes courtesy of a wonderful cross from Tommy Spurr that Diouf returned back across goal for Bagayoko to tap in.

Leeds needed a rapid response and it came within 70 seconds, Andros Townsend drilling a low shot into the net after collecting a pass from Danny Pugh to raise hopes of a comeback.

Those should have been snuffed out on the hour but the unmarked Bagayoko fired straight at Lonergan when it seemed the substitute was certain to score.

It proved to be the turning point of a crazy afternoon as, 10 minutes from time, Snodgrass collected the ball on the left and whipped in a cross that Adam Clayton volleyed superbly into the roof of the net.

Now it really was game on as both sides went in search of a winner until a nasty clash of heads brought a temporary halt due to Robbie Rogers and Tommy Spurr both requiring extensive treatment.

Neither was able to continue so play resumed after a six-minute delay with Mikael Forsell having come off the bench and it was the Finnish striker who unwittingly played a part in the winner by getting in the way of a weak shot from Becchio.

It provided Becchio with a second sight of goal and this time he made no mistake with a sublime finish to settle a captivating derby in United’s favour and leave supporters as breathless as those hardy souls enjoying the white-knuckle ride excitement of the Magic Mouse next door.

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