FALLEN giants Leeds United face a third season in League One after suffering a 2-1 aggregate defeat to play-off semi-final opponents Millwall.

Last night’s 1-1 second leg draw means Leeds have now suffered agony in all four of their play-off attempts, with Millwall becoming their latest end-of-season nemesis following Charlton, Watford and Doncaster in past campaigns.

Leading scorer Jermaine Beckford had a 50th-minute penalty saved for Leeds, who lost Saturday’s first leg at the Den 1-0, but striking partner Luciano Becchio put Simon Grayson’s men ahead on the night shortly afterwards.

Millwall, though, grabbed the decisive goal with their first – and only – shot on target of the night when Jimmy Abdou netted from close range. In front of the Football League’s biggest crowd of the season of 37,036, an electric Elland Road atmosphere saw deafening decibel levels mark the start of the game and the noise only got louder when Adam Bolder’s sycthing, second-minute challenge on Robert Snodgrass earned the Millwall midfielder a yellow card.

It was the first of three first-half flashpoints with the Lions’ David Martin and Fabian Delph also entering Premier League referee Mark Halsey’s notebook after melees involving both sets of players.

Snodgrass had the first shot of the night on 17 minutes when he accepted a Jonathan Howson pass and cut in from the right flank, but his 15-yard effort only required a routine save from David Forde.

A 24th-minute Jermaine Beckford strike needed a smarter stop from Forde, but Delph’s weak follow-up effort was then easily smothered.

Snodgrass again failed to find the power to beat Forde after exchanging passes with Becchio on the half-hour mark.

Midfielder Neil Kilkenny limped out of the action moments later, allowing Delph to move in from the left flank and fill his more natural central role with Andy Robinson introduced on to the wing and he curled a 20-yard free-kick over seconds before the break.

The sum of Millwall’s first-half attacking efforts had seen striker Gary Alexander lift two ambitious 35-yard efforts high into the stand.

Leeds squandered an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock on the night early in the second half when Andy Frampton was penalised for an innocuous shirt-pull after Richard Naylor had shot at the far-post. Top scorer Beckford, however, failed to convert from the spot for a second time this season when his tame effort was easily saved by Forde, diving low to his right.

Three minutes later, though, Leeds levelled the semi-final on aggregate when Becchio displayed great desire to slide in and beat Millwall’s defenders to Ben Parker’s low left-wing cross before finding the net from five yards.

Lions’ sub Lewis Grabban dragged a rare opportunity wide of Casper Ankergren’s near post on 70 minutes but Beckford, enduring a frustrating night, should have done better moments later when he directed a Snodgrass cross over from ten yards. Disaster struck for the home side when Millwall forged back in front on 74 minutes after Jonathan Douglas allowed left-winger David Martin to cross to the far post.

Grabban then played the ball across the Leeds six-yard box and Abdou pounced from close range.

On 83 minutes, Beckford saw a chance cleared off the line by Tony Craig after Forde had dropped a Robinson cross, although Halsey then signalled a foul.

Bradley Johnson also saw a 30-yard drive whistle wide and Snodgrass fired over from the edge of the box but, despite six minutes of stoppage time and throwing an under-employed Ankergren upfield, Leeds could not avoid another end-of-season anti-climax.

Leeds: Ankergren, Douglas, Sodje, Naylor, Parker (Johnson, 77), Howson (Grella 90), Delph, Kilkenny (Robinson, 35), Snodgrass, Beckford, Becchio.

Subs (not used): Lucas, Marques.

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Whitbread, Craig, Frampton, Henry (Robinson, 86), Bolder, Abdou, Martin, Alexander, Harris (Grabban, 64).

Subs (not used): Pidgeley, Barron, Laird.

Referee: Mark Halsey.

Attendance: 37,036.