Football: Hopkin saves Leeds blushes

Coventry City 2 Leeds United

DAVID HOPKIN added an exclamation mark to Leeds' magnificent season with an equaliser in the dying seconds at Highfield Road. A stunning second- half revival from the Sky Blues had earlier turned the game on its head.

With Clyde Wijnhard scoring his first Premier League goal since 26 September just before the break, it sparked the shirt-twirlers into life as the Leeds supporters bared all again.

Coventry, however, were in no mood to let Leeds dominate the end-of-season celebrations. Goals from John Aloisi and Paul Telfer led to City's fans taking their cue from the visiting faithful, whom they mocked with a shirt twirl of their own following the latter's 73rd minute strike.

The Sky Blues, however, were fortunate to still be in the game at the break as Magnus Hedman was the difference between the 1-0 scoreline and a potential four or five goal rout.

With Leeds having already secured fourth place and City having saved themselves from the drop, the result was of little consequence, but Hopkin was determined that the season should not end on a low as he rounded Hedman in the third minute of injury-time to score.

Goals: Wijnhard (43) 0-1; Aloisi (63) 1-1; Telfer (72) 2-1; Hopkin (90) 2-2.

Coventry City: Hedman; Nilsson, Burrows (Edworthy, 37), Shaw, Breen (Williams 46), Telfer, McAllister, Boateng, Soltvedt, Huckerby (Aloisi 58), Whelan. Substitutes not used: Clement, Quinn.

Leeds United: Robinson; Haaland (Hopkin, 46), Granville (Harte, 72), Radebe, Wetherall, Ribeiro (Kewell, 69), Batty, McPhail, Jones, Wijnhard, Hasselbaink. Substitutes not used: Woodgate, Martyn (gk).

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).

Bookings: Coventry: Edworthy. Leeds: Haaland, Wetherall.

Man of the match: Hedman.

Attendance: 23,049.