FORGET the mass invasion of Leeds United fans, this was more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Eleven men who passed for a fighting team against MK Dons last week morphed into something quite different at the Macron on Saturday to crash out of the FA Cup in the meekest, mildest way possible.

Steve Evans eulogised about his team and the swathes of travelling support as any manager would – but surely he knows deep down, they were made to look good by opponents who just didn’t turn up on the day.

Leeds’ players celebrated victory in front of the massed ranks of 6,630 Yorkshiremen, which represented the largest away following the stadium has ever seen.

That was manufactured by design, of course, as Wanderers quite simply need the money.

But to the other 11,000 fans in the stadium – those poor hardy souls who turn up week-in, week-out, they owe an apology for their first 80 minutes’ work.

Darren Pratley might have stirred things up with a late goal but to have earned a replay after Leeds had led so comfortably for so long would have been unjust.

A ridiculous error from Ben Amos gifted Souleymane Doukara the opening goal after nine minutes, and the visitors’ lead was doubled just before the break by Toumani Diagouraga. The game was controlled at a canter.

And though we can point to a few missed chances for Gary Madine, we can point to even more 50-50 challenges that were gobbled up easily by Leeds, or occasions where midfield runners drifted through unchecked as Wanderers mysteriously gave up the ghost completely in the first half.

“The occasion got to some of them,” reasoned Lennon after the game.

“If they can’t enjoy a game or an occasion like that then some of them need to look for an occupation somewhere else because that was great to be involved in and they didn’t turn up for 45 minutes.

“It was tepid, we lost too many physical battles and we were passive.”

As with any result, the manager takes his share of the blame.

Despite the tepid nature of the performance it took 70 minutes for the first substitution to be made – and the introduction of Kaiyne Woolery and Jay Spearing did serve to spur the team into action.

Had it been done sooner, maybe Wanderers would have had more of a chance.

But you have to question just how much Lennon’s principles have been compromised by this situation.

Other than the complete disbandment of the squad it is hard to see just how much harder this job could be.

And to make matters worse, to see his players lack intensity – a trait he had in bucket-loads as a player and a manager – must be hard to stomach.

“You have to have desire and it has to come from within,” he said.

“I said to them afterwards ‘I don’t know what you want from your career. Do you want to succeed and progress, go forward, because if you do you need some desire to make it happen. Or do you just want to make a living out of the game?’

“That isn’t what I want. I want players who want to progress, and hurt, and run.

“Some of our recovery runs, particularly in the first half, were very poor. I am not saying there was a lack of effort but some of them let the game pass them by first half.”

Leeds were energetic in midfield and in Lewis Cook have a player with real promise, being checked out by some top Premier League clubs.

They were gift-wrapped an opening goal as Doukara turned past Josh Vela and Dorian Dervite with ease on the edge of the box before striking a tame shot that bobbled over the out-stretched body of Amos.

The Wanderers keeper blasted the ball out of the back of his net in annoyance – a rare moment of passion in a sterile 45 minutes.

Gary Madine hooked over from four yards to waste a chance to level but Leeds made it two when Mirco Antenucci cut back from the byline for Diagouraga to side-foot home six minutes before half time.

Leeds defended like they meant it. Sol Bamba and Giuseppe Bellusci made some important last-ditch blocks, while Diagouraga bossed Mark Davies and Darren Pratley out of the game completely.

Only when Pratley nudged Rob Holding’s knockdown from a corner over the line did Wanderers look anything like hungry to see their name in the draw for the fifth round.

Their big chance came three minutes before the end as Pratley’s shot was pushed away by Marco Silvestri, then scuffed on to the post by Madine with his left foot.

After a brief acknowledgement of the home support the Wanderers players trudged off the field in the way they have done dozens of times this season.

There are more important fights to be fought, of course, and survival in the Championship now becomes the sole issue on the pitch. Play like this at Molineux on Tuesday night, however, and Wolves will have an absolute field day.

Bad performances can be consigned to the past and every Wanderers fan should realise by now their team’s wild inconsistency, but what won’t be tolerated is a lack of fight.

As fans scrap to save this club off the pitch the very least they deserve is that the players give everything on it. If that doesn’t prove enough to save the Whites from League One football next season, then so be it.

For heaven’s sake don’t go down without a fight.