THIS might not have been the way every Sheffield United supporter wanted to see their club’s return to the Premiership confirmed after a 12-year absence — many were relishing the prospect of doing the business against Leeds United at Bramall Lane on Tuesday — but it will suit Blades manager Neil Warnock.

A late goal by Reading substitute Stephen Hunt ensured the champions secured the draw, which means Leeds cannot now catch their Yorkshire rivals and must hope to join them in the top flight through the playoffs.

For a team that had gone six games without a win, and fully six hours since they had scored a goal, Leeds did at least make a reasonably confident start. Liam Miller and Jonathan Douglas knocked the ball busily around midfield and, with full-backs Gary Kelly and Stephen Crainey quick to offer width in support, the home team enjoyed plenty of possession.

More telling, however, was their failure to offer any meaningful threat in the final third against a Reading team very much on autopilot. Sean Gregan, after six minutes, and Douglas, after 26, managed shots on target; both efforts rolled gently into goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann’s waiting hands.

It didn’t take long for the game to drift and the periods of near-silence, in which you could hear every shout from the pitch, became increasingly long in a stadium containing many empty seats.

It was not that Leeds weren’t trying, but that only served to emphasise their lack of ideas, and Reading contained them with ease. It must have made sweet viewing in Sheffield.

That there was a goal within 90 seconds of the restart was surprising enough; that it was scored by Leeds, remarkable. Eirik Bakke won the ball from a clearance, and his pass picked out Sean Gregan, breaking into the left-hand side of the Reading penalty area. The midfielder’s low cross from the byline was turned past Hahnemann at his near post by Rob Hulse.

The former West Bromwich Albion striker has taken plenty of criticism for Leeds’s lack of goals recently, but this was his 12th in the league and it shook Reading out of their torpor; now the tackles had an edge. Soon afterwards, Hulse distinguished himself in his own penalty area, heading out John Oster’s dangerous cross from under his own bar; it was unfortunate that he should try a blatant dive in an attempt to win a penalty just after the hour.

With Leeds looking set to become the only team to take four points off his team this season, Reading manager Steve Coppell looked to his substitutes and they did not let him down. Brynjar Gunnarsson’s cross was headed back across goal by Ivar Ingimarsson and bundled across the line by Hunt.

“We need to get some form going into the playoffs, and we played well, we showed more aggression and hunger,” said Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell.

“Congratulations to Sheffield United. It looked like a two-horse race at Christmas, but we pushed them all the way and we can be proud of that. We’ve got a debilitating virus running through the place, and I want to make sure everyone’s fit for the playoffs. We lost Gary Kelly last week, and Robbie Blake this morning.”

STAR MAN: Rob Hulse (Leeds United)

Player ratings: Leeds United: Sullivan 6, Kelly 4, Butler 5, Kilgallon 6, Crainey 5, Douglas 6, Gregan 6, Bakke 6 (Moore 83min, 5), Miller 6, Hulse 7 (Graham 76min, 5), Healy 5 (Beckford 86min, 5)

Reading: Hahnemann 6, Murty 6 (Gunnarsson 83min, 5), Sonko 6, Ingimarsson 5, Shorey 6, Oster 5 (Hunt 64min, 7), Harper 6, Sidwell 5, Convey 6, Doyle 6 (Long 78min, 5), Kitson 5

Scorers: Leeds United: Hulse 47

Reading: Hunt 85

Referee: M Halsey

Attendance: 24,535

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