Luton 1, Leeds 1

Leeds manager Dennis Wise was furious with long-serving right back Frazer Richardson for the defensive mistake which enabled lowly Luton to steal a point deep into injury time.

Victory would have lifted United into second place but the error left them in fifth with just two wins from their last seven matches and a tricky task at Southend awaiting them on Tuesday night.

United had looked reasonably comfortable after Peter Sweeney's free-kick was headed in by Paul Huntington to establish a 27th-minute lead.

But what should have been a battling win became a disappointing draw when Richard-son failed to close down Dean Morgan, who crossed for Sam Parker to snatch the equaliser deep into injury time.

Ironically, Leeds tried to sign Morgan earlier this month but he rejected their terms.

Wise complained after the defensive mistake: "You can't go to sleep like that. We have been conceding goals from silly situations and we did it again with 30 seconds left. It's madness.

"We worked so hard for so long in the game to make it very difficult for them. We scored from a set play, which worked perfectly, only to concede a poxy goal like that. It just isn't on.

"It was poor defending. Frazer knows he should have been in his opponent's face and I can't understand why he let him cross the ball."

Wise restored Tresor Kandol to the attack alongside Jermaine Beckford, dropping Tore Andre Flo to the bench and bringing in David Prutton in place of the suspended Neil Kilkenny.

Yet the two strikers were well below par, Kandol wasting one especially good chance by firing high over the bar.

Former Leeds midfielder Matthew Spring was a shining light in an otherwise lack-lustre Luton side and he was unlucky when his first minute shot was deflected just wide. Even so, Wise was pleased with United's determined display until that late lapse and he heaped praise on goal-scorer Huntington.

"Paul did a fantastic job," said Wise. "He is becoming a man. A lot of people had talked about him as being a little bit soft but today he proved to me that he can be a bloke. Now he has to show me he can do that week in, week out."