In the cups this season Leeds United have beaten Brighouse Town, West Brom, Stoke City and AFC Fylde, all from the Northern Premier Division above them. But hopes of winning promotion and taking on those clubs every week are fading. If the Whites still dream of using their games in hand to close the gap to first place Durham Cestria, they have to cross their fingers that none of the four teams between them can do the same. On Wednesday night, a visit to fellow hopefuls Stockport County was a measure of both sides’ will to meet that challenge.

Stockport fired the first shot early, undoing the Leeds defence with some attractive passing in the final third. Minutes earlier, Hatters top scorer Maria Figueiredo had watched her sumptuous cross bounce once, twice, thrice across goal, but this time she was at the back post to sort things out herself. Figueiredo pirouetted around Catherine Hamill and poked the ball inside the post, United ‘keeper Carrie Simpson standing motionless as rapturous applause broke out from the home crowd. Leeds’ outfield players trudged away stony-faced, as though accepting some grim inevitability. Abbie Brown acted quickly to try to salvage the situation, but her side-netting effort inspired jeers from a group of children delighted by evidence of the striker’s humanity.

A difficult half was dragging until Amy Woodruff’s endeavour ignited Leeds’ hopes in the 40th minute. A ball launched forward by Rachel Hindle was well beyond her reach. Instead, she hounded County’s Francesca Davies, who was glancing anxiously over her shoulder as she played a difficult pass back to her ‘keeper, Faye Bowness. All that was left for Woodruff to do was run into Bowness’ attempted clearance, and soak up boos from the home crowd after the ball ricocheted into the net. It was Stockport’s turn to look hopeless — Jessica Rawstron threw her arms up and her head back, as though asking the sky for answers.

Four minutes later, a spirited move by United’s teenage debutant Codie Thomas — on loan from Manchester City — silenced the Stockport fans’ drum. She stole the ball from under County’s noses, drove forward and played in Woodruff. Another cross went begging across the goalmouth, but who should be arriving at the back post at speed but hat-trick merchant Abbie Brown. You’d think she’d be sick of scoring goals by now, but this two-yard tap-in prompted the wildest joy of what had become seven in three games. Leeds had turned things around, gaining momentum for the first time that evening.

Brown and Woodruff almost conspired to turn Stockport’s bad five minutes into a devastating collapse. Brave Bowness stifled Woodruff’s shot, with Davies there to karate chop Brown’s follow-up out of harm’s way. Leeds looked insuppressible, but the referee called half time. Further damage would have to wait.

But United left their get-up-and-go in the changing rooms, while County were revitalised by the introduction of subs Ella Ritchie and Rachel Davidson. On the hour, Simpson stopped Ritchie from point blank range, only for her to knock the rebound to Davidson, who had a go from ten yards and kicked it well beyond Simpson’s reach. 2-2. Game on.

Leeds’ attacking impetus had stalled and the hosts were taking charge. County’s Emily Bradshaw was enjoying free rein of the left wing when Danielle Witham’s sprinting effort to stop her cutting inside left Witham with none of the ball and Bradshaw sprawled on the floor. With minutes left for someone to find a winner, spectators were in uproar, but the ball was running loose across the penalty area and they soon forgot their worries. Substitute Ritchie calmly found the bottom corner from range to settle the match.

“We weren’t at it,” manager Rick Passmoor said in his post-match interview. “It’s a massive, massive learning curve.” After the game, he urged his players to embrace the feeling of disappointment, so they may work on swerving it in the future.

The trouble is, many of Passmoor’s players have been on this curve before and know this feeling well. Many recent seasons have ended this way for Leeds, three whole months before the last ball is kicked, because once the league leaders are out of sight in a division with one promotion place, what is there to play for?

Leeds, at Passmoor’s urging, won’t give up hope. And a season disrupted by cup runs could end up being defined by them. On Sunday afternoon in Tadcaster, Leeds play Southampton in the semi-final of the FAWNL Plate, with a chance of reaching their first national final since 2013. After taking on and beating Premier Division teams to reach this stage, beating their Division One South-West peers on Sunday would underline Leeds’ rights to a higher level. They just need a way to make the league table show it. ⬢