NEIL Warnock's Blades twisted the knife in to Terry Venables with an amazing Worthington Cup injury time victory at Bramall Lane last night.

The Leeds boss looked on in disbelief as his side were twice sliced and diced in additional time to plunge to a 2-1 defeat.

That prompted the travelling fans to chant for his departure and it will need a massive turnaround in results for Venables to regain their confidence.

Leeds have now only one victory in their last nine games and their confidence is ebbing away with each match.

A rare win seemed cut and dried last night after Leeds were gifted the lead on 24 minutes by Steve Yates' own goal. Jason Wilcox, making his first appearance since January, curled the ball in from the left and Yates, under no pressure, volleyed it past goalkeeper Paddy Kenny.

Leeds had seemed in control in a muted first half as the Blades were unable to raise their game but all that changed around the hour with substitutions from both sides.

Jonathan Woodgate, who had held Leeds together at the back, limped off and Warnock sprang two speedsters from the bench - Peter Ndlovu and Paul Peschisolido.

Immediately, the Blades showed more urgency and aided by lethargic Leeds' bad habit of giving the ball away, started to roll the visitors back.

Leeds appeared to have ridden the storm but a minute in to injury time right back Phil Jagielka crashed a stunning 30-yard shot past Paul Robinson.

Lee Bowyer had an opportunity to restore Leeds' lead but Peschisolido, scorer of a hat-trick in a friendly against York City on Monday, broke away with seconds remaining and after a bout of pinball in the box fellow sub Ndlovu scrambled the ball in for a dramatic winner.

Updated: 12:24 Thursday, November 07, 2002