FOR the first time this season Sheffield United had to make do with a point, but neither team will feel their promotion ambitions have been dented by this result. Hackles were raised and teeth bared but, after much sound and fury, Neil Warnock’s Coca-Cola Championship leaders remain top and Leeds United stay fourth.

Sheffield United did the double over Leeds without conceding a goal last season, so the home side may feel this draw is a fair representation of the progress they are making. Neither side can be budged from their relative positions this weekend, United moving six points clear while Leeds have a five-point buffer from the chasing pack, and after Steve Kabba equalised Frazer Richardson’s superb opening goal, the respective managers felt it was a job well done.

“It’s nice to talk about two good teams in Yorkshire after all the doom and gloom of recent years,” Warnock said. “I think Kevin (Blackwell, the Leeds manager) should be pleased. I shouted to him a few minutes from the end, ‘shall we settle for a draw?’ I’d have taken a last-minute winner, mind. It would be lovely to see that game in the Premiership.”

Blackwell said: “This was a benchmark of how far this club has come in the past nine months. Sheffield United have been building for years and yet, with our new chairman (Ken Bates), we are now able to compete at the top end of this division. So much has gone on at this club, you have to pinch yourself. I’d love it to be a Premiership derby next year, but it’s too early to say whether it could be.”

Blackwell’s CV has gained no little sheen from the rise of Leeds this year, but he can also take some credit for Sheffield United’s reputation in recent seasons. So disappointed was Warnock at the manner of his former assistant’s defection to Elland Road two years ago that they have barely spoken since.

With both teams having won their previous two games, confidence was high and when Phil Jagielka, United’s midfield powerhouse, tried his luck from 30 yards, the shot veered only narrowly off target. United came even closer when Kabba, allowing Alan Wright’s pass to run on to Neil Shipperley, spun to receive his strike partner’s adroit lay-off and obliged Neil Sullivan to parry his shot.

The Leeds goalkeeper produced another fine save when he tipped over a rising drive from Kabba after the forward hurdled challenges from Gary Kelly and Matthew Kilgallon.

Leeds were unbowed, however, and contributed to an absorbing first period, Rob Hulse diving full length shortly before half-time to head narrowly wide Robbie Blake’s deflected centre from the right.

Eight minutes after the break, Leeds’s biggest crowd of the season were claiming there’s “only one team in Yorkshire” when Richardson scored a wonderful goal. The winger received Blake’s neat pass from the left, swerved past Wright before unleashing a thunderous shot into the top corner.

On the eve of the match, Warnock had admitted an FA charge of using insulting and/or abusive words towards a match official after the defeat away to Reading three weeks ago, but he was fairly creative with his language after Richardson’s goal, irate that Leeds had apparently stolen a yard for a throw-in in the build-up.

His mood improved fairly swiftly. Able to summon Danny Webber from the bench after the striker had scored twice in Tuesday’s 4-0 win away to Millwall, the substitute deftly laid the ball wide for Kabba, who teed himself up with a fine first touch before drilling in his eighth goal of the season.

Tempers threatened to spill over and Shaun Derry, the former Sheffield United player, was fortunate to stay on the field when felling the excellent Alan Quinn, but neither team will feel hard done by.

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): N Sullivan — G Kelly, P Butler, M Kilgallon, D Harding — F Richardson (sub: G Einarsson, 78min), S Derry, J Douglas (sub: I Moore, 84), E Lewis — R Blake (sub: D Healy, 75), R Hulse. Substitutes not used: S Gregan, I Bennett. Booked: Kelly, Hulse, Derry.

SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-4-2): P Kenny — R Kozluk, L Bromby, C Morgan, A Wright — P Ifill (sub: K Gillespie, 59), N Montgomery, P Jagielka, A Quinn — N Shipperley (sub: D Webber, 65), S Kabba (sub: V Pericard, 87). Substitutes not used: C Short, M Tonge.

Referee: A Wiley.