Leeds United 2 Leicester City 2
Leeds United's hopes of redemption to bring the curtain down on a traumatic two years at Elland Road floundered on 10 minutes of defensive suicide as Leicester stole a dramatic point.
Leeds were coasting with goals from Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka and looked set to return to second place in the Premier League against Dave Bassett's relegation-haunted side.
But former Leeds star Brian Deane, on his full debut for the Foxes, first pulled one back in the 78th minute prior to James Scowcroft netting the equaliser two minutes from time.
This was a match designed to herald the start of Leeds' redemption period following nearly two years of devastating drama in which United's name has been dragged through the mud by Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate.
Despite kick-off coming 48 hours after Bowyer was cleared on charges ofgrievous bodily harm with intent and affray in relation to an assault on Asian student Sarfraz Najeib, and with Woodgate ordered to serve 100 hours of community service after being found guilty of affray, the repurcussions were still reverberating around the club.
Neither player was at the ground today, apparently ordered to stay away due to the undoubted spotlight which would have been focused upon them and which would ultimately have deflected the attention needed to matters on the field rather than off it.
But the performance was not that which Leeds boss David O'Leary was hoping for and he described it as "diabolical" after they had conceded a two-goal cushion.
He said: "It's shocking to throw away two points like that. It was a wonderful first half from us and they think they can coast.
"We've done nothing to be able to coast. You've got to have a hunger in this game. We were two goals up and it was diabolical to give two goals away.
"Perhaps they thought it was too easy. There was a good work-rate and hunger in the first half but in the second half we tried things that we're not good enough to do."
Mark Viduka was unfortunate to have a superb first-half goal ruled out for offside - a decision subsequently proved to be incorrect.
And the Irishman added: "Viduka's goal that should have stuck, it was an absolutely great goal.
"I think it's two dropped points and as for the title, it makes it hard for yourself."
Asked if the events of the past week had affected the team's preparation, O'Leary said: "What do you think? I think so."