READING may be out of sight and already measuring their Premiership suits, but with Sheffield United spluttering like a distressed Trabant, the Championship promotion race has suddenly become interesting again.

Yesterday’s tussle was as absorbing as it promised with Leeds having lost just once this calendar year. Meanwhile Coventry City were in in such a rich vein of form that despite having started December in 21st place, a play-off position was not a wholly fanciful notion until David Healy’s penalty gave Leeds their second late equaliser in two games.

“Nobody could deny we deserved something from that,” said manager Kevin Blackwell. “We just keep going and going and going. That’s why we’re 12 months ahead of where we thought we’d be.”

Coventry manager Micky Adams was far from disappointed with his team’s performance, particularly during the first half. “That’s as well as we can play,” he noted.

But Leeds should have edged ahead when Liam Miller’s surging run and pass set up teammate Rob Hulse, whose unnecessarily hurried shot found only the side-netting. Outfoxed only briefly, recalled veteran Don Hutchison enlisted Michael Doyle, 11 years his junior, as his midfield enforcer and the Scot became the contest’s most creative force.

Hutchison sprayed passes occasionally right, occasionally left, but usually towards a hesitant Matthew Kilgallon, who was spooked to distraction by Dele Adebola’s ceaseless bustling. Hutchison’s reverse pass on 18 minutes freed Andrew Whing to cross from the right. Neil Sullivan struggled to gather, but Paul Butler headed Adebola’s effort off the line.

In the 25th minute, shortly after Hutchison had rattled Sullivan’s bar with an almighty free kick, City went ahead via Gary McSheffrey’s 50th club goal. Stern John and Adebola combined smartly for McSheffrey to nip in ahead of Kilgallon and curl an insouciant, low finish past Sullivan.

Leeds rallied as Marton Fulop saved with his legs from Robbie Blake and Hulse spurned another chance, but the effervescent McSheffrey so bamboozled Kilgallon and Stephen Crainey in the 35th minute that the defenders clattered into each other.

After the restart, despite Hulse heading Eddie Lewis’s cross onto the bar, despite a succession of corners, despite switching to 4-3-3 and despite introducing the talismanic Healy, Leeds’s sting was drawn by Hutchison’s brain and Doyle’s legs. Soon, Sullivan was performing minor miracles to keep out James Scowcroft’s header and John was firing wildly over when unmarked six yards out.

Leeds, though, were never craven and Miller forced Fulop into a flying save after another 20-yard run. As the shadows lengthened and the freeze bit harder, Leeds grew more desperate until Lewis chanced an 87th minute cross borne of desperation rather than expectation. For reasons only he will know, Whing stuck out a hand. City protested, but a penalty was condign punishment. “Blatant,” chuckled Blackwell. “The referee was spot on.”

Seemingly without a care in the world, Healy powered home the spot kick and Leeds had not so much got themselves out of jail as blown apart the whole prison.

Star Man: Don Hutchison (Coventry City)

Player Ratings: Coventry: Fulop 7, Whing 5, Page 6, Shaw 6, Hall 7, Scowcroft 6, Hutchison 8, Doyle 8 (Thornton 84min, 4), McSheffrey 8 (Impey 79min, 5), John 6, Adebola 8.

Leeds: Sullivan 7, Kelly 6, Butler 6, Kilgallon 4, Crainey 5, Douglas 7 (Moore 74min, 4), Derry 6, Miller 7, Blake 5 (Healy 61min, 6), Hulse 5, Lewis 7

Scorers: Coventry: McSheffrey 26

Leeds: Healy 88pen

Referee: C Oliver

Attendance: 26,643

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