Leeds United 0 Swindon Town 3: Promotion ambition fading fast as rivals embarrass poor Leeds

An hour was on the clock and Charlie Austin had just put Swindon Town into an unassailable three-goal lead when the 1,600 or so visiting fans turned to their hosts.

'We're going to Portsmouth,' taunted those whose team were just about to leapfrog over Leeds and into second place. 'You're going to Bournemouth.'

And, to a man, those whose loyalty is to Leeds were given a horrible glimpse into the future – namely, a fourth year in League One.

No wonder the home fans filed out of Elland Road in dejected mood after watching sport's most spectacular collapse since Devon Loch blew the 1956 Grand National continue in depressingly predictable fashion.

After a mildly encouraging first half in which their team had created several decent chances, the Leeds supporters could only watch in horror as Swindon were presented with the lead courtesy of a defensive blunder.

Cue a truly shameful second half display with not one redeeming feature as Danny Wilson's team were, with a nod to his time as Barnsley manager, made to look like Brazil.

No quality, no heart and no idea just about sums up United's pathetic efforts after the break as the one-time runaway leaders slipped lamely to a fourth-straight defeat.

Not only is automatic promotion now looking an increasing pipedream for a team who led the table by eight points at the turn of the year. But the once unthinkable prospect of missing out on even the play-offs is looking more and more of a possibility for Simon Grayson's flops with each passing week.

And even if Leeds do manage to cling on to a place in the top six, the club will then have to overcome a hoodoo that has seen four previous tilts at the play-offs end in abject disappointment.

A reminder of the Elland Road club's frailty in the end-of-season promotion deciders could be found barking orders from the away dugout.

Peter Shirtliff, Wilson's assistant at the County Ground, is the man whose name is enough to give long-standing United fans nightmares after his two goals in the 1987 play-off final kept Charlton in the top flight and he felt Swindon had put down a marker in the race for a place in the top two.

The former Sheffield Wednesday defender said: "I felt we controlled the game in the second half and proved we are a good side. It is good to be second. We have been in the top six throughout the season.

"To beat Leeds 3-0 twice this season is great but if we don't get anything at the end of the season then it counts for nothing."

Just what has gone wrong for Leeds since the turn of the year has become a hot topic of conversation in the city these past few weeks.

Various theories have been put forward, from the FA Cup run being a distraction to the Jermaine Beckford transfer saga in January having unsettled the squad. Others believe the malaise can be traced back to a failure to invest in the transfer window along with an over-reliance on loan players.

Whatever the real reason, one thing not in doubt is that confidence levels at Elland Road are so low that the players are unable to cope with even the slightest of setbacks – as was proved so graphically against Swindon.

After an encouraging opening 40 or so minutes in which United's diamond formation had caused the Robins problems, the home fans had every reason to believe the slump in form was about to be ended.

Andrew Hughes, Jermaine Beckford and Michael Doyle had all tested David Lucas on his return to Elland Road, while only a desperate clearance under his own crossbar from Stephen Darby had prevented a deflected Jonny Howson cross from landing in the back of the net.

The afternoon dramatically changed, however, two minutes before the interval when a slip by Hughes allowed Billy Paynter to fire Swindon ahead. And from that moment on, there was only ever going to be one winner as Austin came within a whisker of adding a second in first-half stoppage time.

Three minutes after the break, Leeds goalkeeper Shane Higgs could do nothing to keep out a deflected Paynter shot from 25 yards that flew into the net.

If that was bad from a home perspective, what followed was even worse as Paynter turned provider seven minutes later with a cross that the unmarked Austin finished from close range.

It was game over and what was always going to be an emotional day ended in total humiliation and the very real possibility of United spending at least one more year in League One.

Leeds United: Higgs; Hughes, Naylor (Parker 60), Collins, Lowry; Howson, Kilkenny, Doyle (Gradel 60), Snodgrass; Grella (Dickov 76), Beckford. Unused substitutes: Ankergren, Johnson, Watt, Bromby.

Swindon Town: Lucas; Darby, Cuthbert, Greer, Jean-Francois; McGovern, Ferry, Douglas, Ward (Easton 80); Austin, Paynter (Nouble 84). Unused substitutes: Smith, Timlin, Morrison, Amankwaah, Marshall.