A DEFT touch of Gary Roberts’ trusty left foot earned Town a deserved derby draw.

Just as it seemed League I’s last unbeaten home record might fall by the wayside, the winger popped up to steer home Anthony Pilkington’s deep cross 85 minutes into a roller-coaster West Yorkshire contest.

Town had led through Pilkington’s deflected 13th-minute drive, and could easily have been further ahead by the break.

But Leeds hit back in the second half and turned the match on its head with two goals in five minutes, Jonathan Howson and Luciano Becchio both heading home.

When Peter Clarke headed against Casper Ankergren’s right-hand post and the Danish keeper pulled off a fine save to deny Lee Novak from close range, it looked like it wasn’t going to be Town’s day.

But patience paid off as Lee Peltier played the ball down the right to Jordan Rhodes, who shielded it neatly and laid it back to Pilkington.

His delivery was sweet, and Roberts emerged at the far side of the penalty area to claim his seventh goal of the season and stretch his side’s unbeaten league run to 11 matches.

It was the second 2-2 draw between the rivals this season, and means Leeds haven’t beaten Town in five meetings.

And while some home supporters in a 21,764 tickets-issued crowd left saying their team should have won, there was no doubting the character and determination displayed by Lee Clark’s side.

Others would have crumbled after Leeds’ quickfire double (in the 61st and 66th minutes), but Town stuck to their guns and were rewarded in an dramatic finale.

They certainly had the better of the first half, restricting the visitors to just a handful of decent chances.

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By the time Robert Snodgrass was denied by Alex Smithies, who tipped his 20th-minute shot wide, and Becchio hit the side-netting from the subsequent flag kick, Town were leading.

Danny Drinkwater won possession and pushed forward, picking out Novak, who set up Pilkington with a neat pass.

Ankergren was beaten all ends up, remaining rooted to his line as Pilkington’s shot took a big deflection off left-back Shane Lowry and flew in for his eighth goal of the campaign.

It was just the start Town were looking for, and it needed a vital touch from Leeds skipper Richard Naylor to stop Pilkington’s 24th-minute cross being converted.

Soon after Pilkington, teed up by Antony Kay’s pass, cut inside from the right and unleashed a curling left-foot effort which went just wide.

Then, in the 41st minute, top-scorer Jordan Rhodes had a gilt-edged chance to double the lead from right-back Peltier’s cross, only to shoot over from the edge of the six-yard box.

Fears that Town would live to regret those misses seemed to be coming true as Leeds took a grip early in the second half.

Jermaine Beckford headed over from Michael Doyle’s cross, and as Simon Grayson’s team turned the screw, Howson passed to Snodgrass then met the midfielder’s cross from the right with a well-placed header past Smithies.

Now Leeds’ 3,995 travelling fans were the ones making the noise, especially after Becchio met Naylor’s flick-on from Snodgrass’s corner to register his 11th of the season.

Town, to their credit, replied with real spirit, and Rhodes put a header across the face of goal before Clarke’s header from a Roberts corner hit the base of an upright.

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Novak, chasing his 12th Town goal, couldn’t believe it when Ankergren stuck up a gloved hand to parry his flick from Dean Heffernan’s booming cross in the 75th minute.

Then Kay flashed a shot wide from the edge of the area.

Thank goodness for Roberts!