But for Leeds United, it was desperate. The one-time FA Cup winners and Champions League semi-finalists took their pride and reputation to Cambridgeshire, and a record of having never lost to non-league opposition.

They exited an obscure corner of English football with their scalp removed, their tails between their legs and their manager answering questions about his future.

Histon will talk about their second-round victory over Leeds for ever and a day, or at least until Swansea City visit Bridge Road in round three. United will remember it as one of the most humiliating defeats the club has ever suffered, a result which will never be lost in the vast archives of the FA Cup.

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Forty-three league places divided the clubs pitted against each other yesterday, a smaller gap than existed when Leeds at the height of Don Revie's tenure were humbled by Colchester United in the same competition, but the experience 27 years on was similarly bitter.

Leeds were put in a position to be embarrassed yesterday, and Histon's victory did exactly that. Worse still was the sound of Gary McAllister defending his reign as a whole, rather than explaining an individual loss. These are pivotal times for the Elland Road club.

Histon threw everything they had into a rare opportunity to reach the third round of the FA Cup, fighting with the hope and belief that non-league clubs acquire naturally in the country's most prestigious tournament, and their victory is a glorious addition to the massive list of upsets.

Their sensational triumph deserved and received more national attention last night than United's defeat, secured by a first-half header from postman Matt Langston. And the majority of the viewing public treated to the tie by ITV will not have wept for Leeds.

Histon's players were a credit to themselves and their club. In West Yorkshire, however, a post mortem is required. The sorry scoreline completed a bad week and, if the truth be told, a very ordinary month.

Beaten by Northampton Town on Tuesday in circumstances which posed searching questions of McAllister's squad, their defeat to Histon was another humbling experience from which no credit could be drawn. United were unable to rise above the horrible conditions. Pouring rain swamped the pitch – and aided Histon's cause.

Histon's clean sheet relied on two huge strokes of luck during a classic second half full of mud and frantic effort, but their desire was apparent in excellent defending when the pressure came to bear, and they did nothing to make United's experience of Bridge Road any easier than it should have been.

McAllister knows his side are capable of demolishing teams like Histon; on a better surface, they might have done that. But Histon played yesterday's game and played the elements, hanging on desperately to a lead they had no intention of giving up.

For Leeds, the effort existed in abundance but their clinical instinct did not, and their more influential players made too little impact.

Their downfall – again –was a defence which cannot keep clean sheets, however lowly the opposition may be.

The return of Rui Marques to the centre of defence was one of four changes to United's line-up, and by far the most significant.

Tuesday's defeat was perhaps the final straw in terms of the back line with which McAllister had been persevering without success, and with several options clearly open to him, the manager made use of them.

Marques replaced Paul Telfer and Alan Sheehan took the left-back position from Ben Parker, changes which became increasingly likely last month. Northampton's victory confirmed the need for fresh thinking; it did not have the desired effect at Histon.