Sheffield United served notice to Leeds that the fight for automatic promotion may go to the wire. A vibrant Yorkshire derby ended with Chris Wilder’s side leapfrogging their hosts to take second place by one point with eight matches left.

It was a tale of copious chances missed by Leeds – “We had three times more,” said Marcelo Bielsa – and Chris Basham taking the defining one for the Blades when a draw seemed inevitable.

“Nobody can say it is a crucial result,” Bielsa said, “because there are still 24 points at stake.” The Leeds manager is correct but what it may do psychologically to each team may prove vital.

Wilder had an interesting take on his goalscorer. “He’s done well to be the match-winner because after 25 minutes he was coming off as he was absolutely useless. But I left him in there. I still don’t think this is a defining result but we’re in the mix.”

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Leeds were unchanged for a third consecutive match, while Wilder brought in Billy Sharp, David McGoldrick and Martin Cranie. Leeds had won their last three matches, Sheffield five of the previous six: a run of form that heightened a spectacle played before a sellout Elland Road.

The crowd began raucous and remained so. The opening was clumsy but, with Leeds on top, Pablo Hernández was initially able to dictate proceedings, passing beyond the Blades’ defence. A flipped ball found Patrick Bamford well placed but he was unable to finish.

Leeds moved up a gear. Dean Henderson in the visitors’ goal flung himself at a Tyler Roberts header, off target as it happened, before the home side had a couple of penalty shouts, though neither impressed David Coote, the referee.

Sheffield United’s closest threat to Kiko Casilla’s goal was an Ollie Norwood free-kick that crashed into the wall, while at the other end Ezgjan Alioski’s misplaced blast summed up why terms remained level.

It might have been worse for the home team when Enda Stevens’ slick footwork fooled Luke Ayling only for the defender’s cross to go straight to Casilla. Still, Wilder’s men soon produced a first corner and a scramble after Basham’s header led to a second, though it came to nothing.

After the break George Baldock‘s dribbling ability made mugs of the white-shirted defence but the danger fizzled out. Leeds’ response was a Kalvin Phillips shot from 25 yards that went high.

The game had become an end-to-end affair. Roberts smacked the ball off Henderson’s left post seconds after Bielsa had made his first substitution, Jack Harrison replacing Barry Douglas a dozen minutes into the second half.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jack Harrison rues a missed chance. Photograph: Richard Lee/BPI/Rex/Shutterstock

When Sharp felled Pontus Jansson near the centre circle the home crowd bayed for a red card but Coote showed only a yellow, much to Bielsa’s chagrin. His mood darkened further on 71 minutes when an error by Liam Cooper allowed Sharp to find the on-running Basham and his finish was slid expertly to Casilla’s right.

Bielsa responded with a double substitution, Stuart Dallas and Jack Clarke replacing Ayling and Mateusz Klich. Leeds rallied but could not find a way through and defeat was compounded by Casilla’s dismissal for pulling down Sharp after a defensive mix-up let him in. Jansson had to take over in goal, because all three substitutions had been made but, while Sheffield United could not add to their tally, they did not need to.