Graham Turner heaped praise on his Hereford United players after the Coca-Cola League Two side upset the odds by beating Leeds United at Elland Road to book a home second-round tie with Hartlepool United.

This victory may not compare to Hereford’s famous slaying of Newcastle United in 1972, the year that Leeds went on to win the competition, but try telling that to Turner and his players as they embarked on their long but joyous journey home.

Lionel Ainsworth’s early goal was enough to settle the replay and Turner said: “We got off to a great start and it gave us the belief to go on and do something. We got pushed back at times but held on. We weren’t overawed and coped well.

“I’m delighted with the players because they deserve this. Are Leeds still a giant club? Yes. They have fallen on hard times but will be in the Championship next season. They are still a massive scalp.”

Hereford took the lead after three minutes to leave the home side facing the prospect of another black mark against their name in a competition in which they have not won a tie since 2003. Trevor Benjamin’s powerful run was momentarily halted by Jonathan Howson, but Leeds failed to clear the ball, allowing Ainsworth — who scored a hat-trick against Stockport County on Saturday — to place a low shot past the flat-footed Casper Ankergren.

Home supporters knew there was ample time for their side to respond, but a combination of poor finishing and spirited resistance was to prove Leeds’s downfall.

Theo Robinson could have doubled his side’s advantage in the thirteenth minute when he got behind a static defence and found himself with only Ankergren to beat, but having rounded the goalkeeper, his shot was hacked off the line by Ben Parker.

Leeds finally stirred when Tresor Kandol met Parker’s corner only to see his downward header partially saved by Wayne Brown before being hoofed clear. More pressure followed, but Sébastien Carole and Jermaine Beckford squandered good chances.

Despite finding themselves pinned back, Hereford engineered another wonderful chance when Benjamin broke free and fed the unmarked Robinson, but, once again, his finishing was poor and Ankergren smothered the danger. The goalkeeper injured himself in the process and had to be replaced.

Leeds’s increased desperation left them more exposed, but Ainsworth’s shot went inches wide before Robinson’s control betrayed him again. It did not seem to matter as the visiting team put bodies on the line to repel Leeds’s frantic attacks. Dennis Wise, the Leeds manager, threw on a third striker, Leon Constantine, but it made no difference. Hereford were not to be denied and left the field to raucous applause from their supporters. Leeds, meanwhile, departed to boos.

Wise said: “We just didn’t perform. Credit to Hereford because they got what they wanted early on. We didn’t pass it well enough. We had chances as well but didn’t take them. There was so much wrong with the performance and we looked knackered. We had more than enough to get through but we haven’t performed.”

Leeds United (4-4-2): C Ankergren (sub: D Lucas, 38min) – F Richardson, P Huntington, M Heath, B Parker – S Carole (sub: C Weston, 82), A Hughes, J Howson, I Westlake (sub: L Constantine, 65) – T Kandol, J Beckford. Substitutes not used: J Clapham, T Elliott. Booked: Hughes, Heath.

Hereford United (4-4-2): W Brown – R Rose, J McCombe, B Smith, R Threlfall – L Ainsworth, B Smith, T Diagouraga, C Easton (sub: K Taylor, 90) – T Robinson, T Benjamin. Substitutes not used: S Guinan, M Ingham, S Gwynne, S Johnson.

Referee: G Laws.