The 2005-06 campaign was a season of soaring ambition and eventual heartbreak for Leeds United as The Whites secured a 5th-place finish in the Championship, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. Leading the charge was the potent, joint-top scoring partnership of David Healy and Rob Hulse, who both finished with 14 goals in all competitions, with Hulse earning the Supporters' Player of the Year award. The season, which saw a mid-campaign slump after climbing to third, culminated in a dramatic play-off semi-final win over Preston North End before ending in a crushing 3-0 defeat to Watford in the final at the Millennium Stadium. It remains a painful yet defining chapter of the club's fight for a return to the Premier League.