The fans at Loftus Road raised as one to celebrate Liam Bidwell’s late winner to send QPR through to the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since 2012.
Whether manager Steve McClaren will be as happy at the prospect of yet another fixture is another matter entirely.
The defender rose highest in the second half to head home Luke Freeman’s corner and ensure the R’s are in the hat in the fourth round on Monday night, restoring his side’s lead after Aapo Halme had cancelled out Aramide Oteh’s opener from the spot.
The cheers at full time and a lap of honour seemed a bit overexuberant, but it shows how much it meant. This result has been a long time coming.
Cup magic has ben in short supply at Loftus Road over the years. No club boasts a worse record in the third round, the R’s bowing out 49 times at this stage before today.
Their last victory in this competition – excluding replays – was in 1997.
There didn’t appear any great determination from Steve McClaren to change that with his line-up, which included five changes from the side that held Aston Villa on New Years’ Day. Nor, in fairness should their be.
The former Newcastle boss has worked wonders to drag his side into the Championship play-off picture, and with the club under a transfer embargo, not to mention missing key players through injury and international duty, the prospect of a cup run would not be his idea of a January pick-me up.
Leeds are in the same boat. Bielsa explained the changes to his starting line-up at length in his press conference on Friday, but he wasn’t fooling anyone.
Leeds have bigger priorities this season and the brutal truth is that a place in the fourth round may jeopardise that.
His six changes provided a number of young players including Halme and Jack Clarke, but it was one his trusted stars who almost sparked the tie into life inside the first minute.
Luke Ayling’s searching ball forward was contested by Jack Harrison, and when the ball returned to the turf it fell kindly for Tyler Roberts, whose rasping drive smacked both uprights before rolling away to safety.
The immediacy of the threat forced the hosts to retaliate as the game took off at a pace that belied the intentions of both managers.
A poor clearance from Ayling was pounced upon by Ebere Eze, who in turn played in Bright Osayi-Samuel, the winger only denied by a smothering stop from Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
QPR could sense that the hesitancy in a young Leeds backline in front of them was vulnerable, and so it proved as Leif Davis was too slow to react to a loose ball inside his own area, bringing down Bidwell in the process. Aramide Oteh stepped up to smash the ball home from the spot.
The joy was shortlived as the visitors preyed on vulnerabilities at the other end. A Lewis Baker free-kick looked straightforward for Matt Ingram, restored in goal in place of Joe Lumley, but he failed to keep hold of it, allowing Aapo Hulme to steal in and tap home an equaliser.
The mistake was a blow for Ingram, who had been first choice coming into this season, before losing that title to Lumley after a poor start. Nerves crept in, as did indecision, with Roberts blocking one of his clearances behind for a goal kick.
In the second half, QPR pushed on for that elusive third round win, Jordan Cousins going close from 25-yards by forcing Peacock-Farrell into a clawing one-handed save to divert the ball behind via the outside of the post.
Then came the moment 21 years in the making as Bidwell rose at the back post to head home Luke Freeman’s corner.
Freeman himself nearly added some stardust but hit the inside of the post with a free-kick late on, but a first victory in the third round since 1997 was magic enough.