POSH have never met Leeds in a Football League match, but their paths have crossed four times in knockout competitions, most memorably in the fourth round of the FA Cup in 1974. Alan Swann looks back:

Posh 1, Leeds 4, January 26, 1974
FA Cup fourth round
Attendance: 28,000

Leeds were top of the old Division One and unbeaten when coming to London Road to face a Posh side favourites for promotion from Division Four.

Don Revie's side may have been cynical, loathed in a manner reserved nowadays for Millwall and MK Dons, dirty and generally unsporting, but they could also play a bit.

Related:
Posh v Leeds: Match commentary and full preview, kick-off 12noon, 4 October
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They were the biggest draw in the land and created a buzz around the city which didn't die down even when the club hiked up the ticket prices in the main stand from 65p to £1.

Posh believed they had an opportunity to cause a bigger upset than when they beat Arsenal nine years earlier. It was a belief that increased when news of Leeds' injury list filtered through.

There was no Jack Charlton, no John Giles, no Allan Clarke and no Mick Jones. England international Terry Cooper was tipped to play his first game since breaking a leg almost two years previously.

On the other hand Posh were at full strength, physically and mentally fine tuned after spending the night before at the plush George Hotel in Stamford.

Unfortunately they were in for a rude awakening. Leeds scored four times in a 19-minute spell in the first-half to put the tie to bed.

They were helped by some good fortune as free-kick specialist Peter Lorimer's 15th minute set-piece was deflected into the net.

Two headers from Joe Jordan and a tap in from Terry Yorath completed a tortuous first half for Posh fans, although as Leeds eased off, Posh improved enough to grab a consolation goal midway through the second-half when John Cozens headed home Tommy Robson's cross.

"Posh died with dignity," insisted the headline in The Evening Telegraph and manager Noel Cantwell concurred.

Cantwell said: "I was a bit disappointed because we had no luck in the early stages, but I was proud of the way we kept going. We now need to make sure of promotion."

And they did by claiming the Division Four title just after Leeds were crowned champions of the First Division.

Off the pitch Leeds did nothing to enhance their reputation. A coffee stand in the Moys End of London Road was taken to pieces and deposited at the side of the pitch, and not just because the tea was also undrinkable in those days.

Teams:

Posh: Mick Drewery, Keith Bradley, Jeff Lee, Dave Llewelyn, Chris Turner, Mick Jones, Keith Bradley, Bert Murray, John Cozens, Jim Hall, Freddie Hill, Tommy Robson.

Sub: Jack Carmichael.

Leeds United: David Harvey, Paul Reaney, Terry Cooper, Billy Bremner, Roy Ellam, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer, Terry Yorath, Joe Jordan, Trevor Cherry, Paul Madeley.

Sub: Frank Gray.