Referee Urs Meier turns away Leeds' protests after Sanchez's opener (StuForster/Allsport)

Last August, David O'Leary's side were humbled by Barcelona in the opening match of the campaign. Last night Valencia scored three against them in a loss which was further shamed by Alan Smith's dismissal and the likely-as-not hand-ball which gave the Spaniards the lead.

It was a sorry and unfitting climax to what had been one of the most exhilarating chapters of English football in Europe in the modern era.

Hector Raul Cuper may have made history by becoming the first coach to guide a team to three successive UEFA finals but Leeds have made a lot of people very glad that they were even in the competition.

Raw enthusiasm and indomitable spirit which propelled them to unlikely and memorable wins against AC Milan, Lazio and Deportivo La Coruna along the way to the semi-final were not quite enough to take them all the way to the San Siro in two weeks' time.

Deprived of Lee Bowyer the day before the match by a suspension, Leeds lacked momentum in the Mestalla and Valencia made them pay for the inability to replace the winger's unpredictable creativity.

Having tasted the incomparable atmosphere of last year's showpiece finale against Real Madrid in Paris, Valencia emanated a hunger to reprise the experience in Milan this month. That desire was too much for a Leeds side which has shown an insatiable ambition for months.

Throughout the rollercoaster ride which has seen them career through the continent driven by passion and guided by O'Leary, the journey to Spain, however, has not been an enjoyable one.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Deportivo have all beaten them on home soil and last night's inquisition left Leeds asking questions of the match officials before failing to provide any real answers of their own.

Early warnings went unheeded when Gaizka Mendieta volleyed after two minutes and Nigel Martyn found himself at full stretch blocking with both hands. When John Carew bent a brilliant cross forcing Rio Ferdinand to clear off the foot of Juan Sanchez minutes later, they really should have plugged the gap on the left flank.

Mendieta was making his 300th appearance for the club and he marked it with an assist just past the quarter-of-an-hour mark which will rankle the memory of Elland Road fans for as long as the injustice suffered by Peter Lorimer has in the club's last European Cup Final 26 years ago.

This time Sanchez left the Leeds defenders behind him but, as he stooped to meet his captain's centre, the ball struck his arm rather than his head. Referee Urs Meier looked to his assistant as Martyn pointed out the offence but the result stood.

To their credit, they didn't buckle or break and Smith, Mark Viduka and Olivier Dacourt all tested Santiago Canizares without success. Viduka then held up play brilliantly while waiting for David Batty to arrive in the box but the midfielder's volley was weak.

The Australian was then guilty of similar profligacy when he failed to make serious contact with Harry Kewell's cross before half-time and a free header failed to produce anything of real value.

When they retired for the break, they were still very much in it. No-one, however, could have expected that Valencia would take just four minutes of the second half to ruthlessly rip any remaining hope from them and kill the match as a contest.

Sanchez did not appear to represent any threat as he drifted into the centre some 25 yards from goal and by the way Martyn dived to try and meet his long-range shot he must have felt the same way. The ball grazed his post before snuggling in the net and the fervent crowd rose as one to celebrate.

	Sanchez celebrates the controversial opening goal (StuForster/Allsport)

They had barely found their full voice before Mendieta gave them further reason to celebrate with a similar shot from shorter distance which beat the keeper in the same way.

There were looks of disbelief exchanged between the Leeds players but, with 41 minutes of the match still left to play, they knew to a man that it was finished.

In a match in which there was little to be thankful for Leeds should be grateful that a post denied Sanchez a dubious hat-trick and that Smith did not add serious injury to gross stupidity when he lunged at Vicente in the dying seconds of the match.

Some 45 minutes after the final whistle, Bowyer started a procession of players on to the pitch to salute the Leeds fans who remained in the stadium cheering their heroes despite having their dreams of glory dashed at the penultimate hurdle.

They, like Leeds United, should be warmly congratulated. It was great while it lasted and it lasted a lot longer than anyone could have hoped for.

They might not make it into the Champions League next season but there is one thing of which there can be no doubt. They will be back.