Astonishing, heroic, amazing. Insert whatever superlative you choose and it still won't be enough to describe this result and Cheltenham Town performance.
Leeds fans will claim that their team was off form and with some justification, yet the night belonged to Cheltenham Town.
The plaudits begin with manager Keith Downing, who pulled off a tactical masterstroke with a 4-5-1 formation that was able to turn defence into attack swiftly and incisively.
Then there were the players, who produced the most remarkable display of effort and ability and even crafted to miss chances that would have made the scoreline even wider.
And finally the travelling fans, who backed the team throughout and treated Elland Road to the tractor song even long after the final whistle had sounded.
Downing sprang a surprise with his team selection naming new loan signing Richard Keogh for a debut alongside Shane Duff in the centre of defence. Keogh took the place of Andy Gallinagh, who was rested having played in the last 16 consecutive games - his first prolongued taste of first team action.
Damian Spencer and fit-again Alex Russell returned to the starting line-up in place of Michael D'Agostino and Andy Lindegaard. The Robins therefore began the game with a three man central midfield of David Bird, Alex Russell and Craig Armstrong with Steven Gillespie and Damian Spencer out wide and Steve Brooker as a lone striker.
The match kicked off with a strong, icy wind blowing towards the Cheltenham goal with showers of driving rain leaving puddles on the Elland Road pitch.
Although the whole ground was a long way from full, the north stand behind the goal Cheltenham attacked in the first half was packed with Leeds supporters. Both this end and the opposite South Stand generated a wall of noise in the opening moments but the Cheltenham supporters, around 500 of them in the upper tier in one corner, made themselves heard as the Robins won three corners in the opening five minutes.
That was after Leeds had almost taken a first minute lead when Jonny Howson sent Jermaine Beckford away down the inside-right channel. Beckford's early shot was pushed aside by Shane Higgs and although Tresor Kandol was quickly onto the rebound, Jerry Gill was on hand to clear the danger.
After that early flurry of activity the game settled into a pattern with Leeds content to retain possession, showing plenty of patience and movement waiting for an opening to exploit. Cheltenham, meanwhile, chased and harried them trying to win the ball and spring forward on the breakaway.
Spencer and Gillespie were finding some room out wide and delivered one or two decent crosses but there was always a danger that Leeds would take advantage when Cheltenham had men committed up field.
With 22 minutes gone they very nearly did so when Bradley Johnson delivered a vicious angled ball from the left, Tresor Kandol met it with a firm header from six yards but the ball cleared the bar by no more than a coat of paint.
Keogh, who had not played a first team game since New Year's Day, was involved in the thick of the action in the early stages and needed lengthy treatment after making a brave defensive header from a corner. He was then yellow carded by referee Clive Oliver for bringing down Kandol just outside the area as Leeds threatened a dangerous break. Johnson took the resulting free-kick but on this occasion his accuracy was out and the ball went for a goal kick.
Then, with seven minutes to play until half-time the unbelievable happened.
A long kick from Higgs was headed clear but none too convincingly by Leeds captain Rui Marques. The big defender moved forward to take the ball as it dropped but David Bird was alert to it and got there first. Bird took another touch then hit a low shot that rolled almost in slow motion past stationary goalkeeper Casper Ankergren and just inside his right-hand post.
A visibly shaken Leeds defence almost conceded another almost immediately when Gillespie crossed from the right and a glancing header from Russell landed just wide with Ankergren stranded once again.
But Leeds regained their composure in the moments leading up to half-time and when Frazer Richardson crossed from wide on the left, leading scorer Jermaine Beckford found space in the box to turn and shoot at goal. Thankfully for the Robins his effort flew wide, as did a header from defender Lubomir Michalik from another Richardson cross moments later.
The Cheltenham players probably expected a barrage at the start of the second half and it duly began when Higgs was forced to making a diving save from a powerful Johnson free-kick. Michalik then shot wide from another Richardson cross and Beckford contorted himself to reach a volley on the edge of the area but could not keep his shot down.
David Prutton sent a long-range shot wide then Leeds manager Gary McAllister replaced midfielder Howson with striker Dougie Freedman just past the hour mark. The decision was not popular with the home fans and they had even more cause for consternation two minutes later.
Alan Wright delivered an in-swinging free-kick from the right that Ankergren got a hand to but could only push wide. Gillespie collected the ball and laid it back to Russell on the corner of the box. Russell looked up and curled a sumptious right foot shot beyond the goalkeeper and inside the far post. Dreamland!
Johnson shot wide for Leeds shortly after the re-start but then Brooker had the ball in the home net again, although this time the effort was ruled out for offside.
Shane Duff went into the book for a foul on Freedman and he was followed shortly afterwards by Kandol following an altercation with Gillespie. Frustration had been mounting in the stands and a section of the home supporters, somewhat bizarrely, began chanting for Kandol to be sent off!
A surreal night took an even more remarkable twist 20 minutes from time when Spencer produced a superb run and low cross from the left. Brooker was left with an open goal six yards out but trod on the ball and Michalik was able to hack it clear.
McAllister immediately made a double substitution sending on defender Andrew Hughes and striker Anthony Elding for Richardson and Kandol. Leeds switched to 3-4-3 but the rain began beating down again, soaking the pitch and making it difficult to pass the ball.
Back came the Robins and they almost got another goal when a long throw was headed out to Russell and his piledriving shot from the edge of the box bounced back off the crossbar.
Cheltenham were left regretting those missed chances five minutes from time when Neil Kilkenny crossed from the left and Elding got above the defence to power a header past Higgs to set up an unbelievably tense last few minutes.
But Cheltenham held on and they ran down the clock to complete one of the most remarkable results in their entire history.
LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): Ankergren; Kenton, Marques, Michalik, Richardson (Hughes 71); Kilkenny, Howson (Freedman 61), Prutton, Johnson; Beckford, Kandol (Elding 71). Subs not used: Lucas (Gk), Huntington
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-5-1): Higgs; Gill, Keogh, Duff, Wright; Gillespie, Bird, Russell, Armstrong, Spencer (Vincent 84); Brooker (Connor 88). Subs not used: S.P.Brown (Gk), Lindegaard, D'Agostino
REFEREE: C.W. Oliver (Northumberland)
ATTENDANCE: 20,257