Leeds United left with haunting what-if after Wembley whimper - Graham Smyth's semi-final Verdict

Leeds United went quietly into the night against Chelsea at Wembley, unable to grace the big stage with a performance worthy of their 34,000-strong backing.

En route to the stadium the levels of hope among the invading yellow, white and blue army ranged from 'please just give them a game' to 'we might have a chance.' By the time supporters had amassed in the ground before the FA Cup semi-final, collective belief was in the air and anything felt possible.

At full-time those in the stands had done themselves and the club justice but not all of those on the pitch could exactly say the same, not when they failed to produce what it is they're capable of.

Perhaps the worst thing about Leeds' 1-0 defeat will be the what-ifs. The winning goal was such a sloppy one to concede. The chances Leeds missed were good ones, chances that begged to be put away. The momentum and possession they had in the second half did not translate to enough danger.

Ao Tanaka wasted no time in getting stuck into the Blues, beating Malo Gusto in a challenge near halfway within seconds of the start and leaving the Chelsea man writhing on the deck. Play continued, Noah Okafor took the ball on and won a free-kick just outside the area and Tanaka sent it harmlessly over the top. As early as it might have been, this was a chance to work Robert Sanchez and in hindsight perhaps Tanaka would have gone with power rather than trying to guide it and getting right under it.

Chelsea, in response, did opt for the more blunt approach with their first chance to test Lucas Perri, Enzo Fernandez hammering an effort right at the keeper from distance. Perri held on well.

Leeds going long without the required quality or the necessary support for Dominic Calvert-Lewin meant they struggled to hang onto the ball and allowed Chelsea to dominate early possession. Off the ball they were solid and compact, forcing the Blues to look for chipped balls in behind the defence but crucially conceding no chances.

Instead the next opportunity came for Leeds and it was a glorious one. Jayden Bogle strode forward, played the ball into Calvert-Lewin's feet and his flick round the corner was perfect for Brenden Aaronson. One-on-one with Sanchez, the American went for a low finish but didn't get enough power or precision on it and his hands went to his face in disbelief as the Spaniard made the save.

The slightest lack of composure from Leeds was pounced upon by the men in blue, who looked ominous when given any space. Jaka Bijol rushed a header on the edge of the box and suddenly Joao Pedro was played in behind on the wrong side of James Justin to ping the ball off the post. Leeds didn't get away with the next one. Pascal Struijk's touch was poor and Chelsea were away in a flash. One pass, one cross, one Enzo header and it was 1-0.

Leeds' response to the goal was hardly encouraging. Ethan Ampadu, who had hardly been a factor, was beaten too easily outside his area and then when he did get a foot on the ball he gave Tanaka a hospital pass. The Japan international's attempted clearance was blocked, fell to Joao Pedro and he volleyed wide of the far post. This was not the Leeds team of that Old Trafford performance and nor was it the Chelsea of Liam Rosenior.

Slowly, so slowly as to almost be imperceptive, Leeds' growth into the game saw them settle a little more on the ball. They were able to work it forward a couple of times to win a corner and a throw that Ampadu hurled into the area, Bijol and Struijk causing chaos before Noah Okafor sliced his shot horribly.

The improvement, such as it was, did not satisfy Daniel Farke. He went for something a little more toe-to-toe, replacing Bijol and Justin with Joe Rodon and Anton Stach. The subs almost combined for an instant impact, Rodon getting hold of a loose ball outside the box and forcing it to his fellow sub whose blast from distance was tipped over by Sanchez.

Tanaka then sent Okafor away on the left for a stirring run that took him all the way to the final third, where he couldn't find Calvert-Lewin with a cross. Leeds pressed high to win the ball and made life uncomfortable for Chelsea. The fans responded in kind. The ball spent far more time in the Chelsea half of the pitch. This was more like the Leeds that was expected to show up and Chelsea did not like it. Stach was causing problems on one side and then Okafor joined in on the other, curling a beautiful ball to the back stick for Calvert-Lewin, who headed straight at the keeper.

Stach winning a free-kick in a great position was the signal for Chelsea to grace the Wembley turf with a tactical timeout. Down went Sanchez, on his captain's orders. Having watched officials rendered powerless to deal with such incidents this season, Ampadu took matters into his own hands and went to join the Chelsea huddle. Chelsea didn't like that either. When play resumed Stach sent the free-kick wide. Leeds kept the pressure on and a ball dropped to Tanaka in the area, he trundled that one wide too. In a game like this chances were always going to be a finite resource and Leeds were wasting them.

Chelsea might not have been creative or dangerous in the second half but they were adept at eating up time with spells in possession. If they didn't have the ball they sought other means of whiling away the time. But Chelsea's antics, the refereeing or any other external factor you would like to name were not the cause of Leeds' failure to find an equaliser.

That was squarely down to Leeds. Nine minutes of stoppage time came and went without Sanchez being required to do much other than punch away a long throw. For all the money spent on this Chelsea squad and all the individual talent, they are plainly not a great team and not on the level of say Manchester City.

To let them off the hook at Wembley, with a place in the final there to be won, means it is regrets and not history that this squad will take from the occasion. Losing to Chelsea is no shame for a newly-promoted side, but the big day ended with a whimper, not the roar Farke's side are capable of and that is a shame.