Substitute David Healy threw Leeds a dramatic Coca-Cola Championship lifeline with an 89th-minute equaliser at relegation rivals Southend.

The once-mighty Whites were about to be shoved another step closer to a humiliating drop into League One after Mark Gower fired the hosts ahead in the first half.

But Healy, who was surprisingly left out by Dennis Wise in favour of Tresor Kandol, spared his under-pressure manager's blushes with his late intervention, although Leeds remain in dire trouble at the foot of the table.

With tempers flaring, Wise was then sent down the tunnel by referee Nigel Miller after Leeds were denied a late penalty by an offside flag.

Six years ago this weekend Leeds held Italian giants Lazio to a 3-3 draw on their way to the Champions League semi-finals, heady days which seem a world away from the modest surroundings of Roots Hall and a desperate struggle avoid the drop into English football's third tier.

Southend's poky ground will seem the lap of luxury compared to some of the outposts on Leeds' fixture list next season, however, unless they can somehow claw back a four-point deficit with seven matches to go.

Leeds should have been ahead after just five minutes when Frazer Richardson outpaced Peter Clarke and whipped in a superb cross which the unmarked Kandol headed over wastefully.

Leeds spent the opening 15 minutes camped in the Southend half in front of their vociferous support, but they were almost undone on the break when Freddy Eastwood scampered clear.

But the striker put too much pace on his cross and Jamal Campbell-Ryce was always stretching as he poked the ball wide of a gaping goal.

Clarke then headed a Kevin Maher corner over as Southend began to get a foothold, and their pressure told in the 24th minute when Gower struck.

Richie Foran nicked the ball from Lubomir Michalik and sent Lee Bradbury away to play in Gower, who steadied himself before firing past Casper Ankergren.

Moments later, with Leeds reeling, Eastwood cut inside from the left and sent a right-footed curler around Ankergren's outstretched palm and against the foot of the post.

After the break, Flahavan kept out a header from Matt Heath and did well to palm out another Blake free-kick, while the keeper also came out of an untidy goalmouth scramble with the ball.

Eastwood could have put Southend two goals up, but his deflected shot bounced on the roof of the net with Ankergren beaten.

Leeds' afternoon was summed up by a goalbound Blake effort which was inadvertently cleared off the line by team-mate Cresswell.

Southend looked for a killer second and Eastwood tried a cheeky backheel which was saved, before a kamikaze Ankergren walkabout left Bradbury free to tee up Foran in front of goal, but Heath got back to block his shot.

But Healy was finally thrown on with eight minutes remaining and had the desired impact, latching onto Robbie Elliott's clever free-kick and rifling the ball past Flahavan.

In an explosive finish, Leeds claimed Simon Francis handled in the area but the referee gave a free-kick to Southend, sending the already agitated Wise into meltdown before he was ushered down the tunnel.

Teams:

Southend Flahavan, Francis, Sodje, Clarke, Hunt,Campbell-Ryce (Harrold 83), Maher, Gower, Foran, Bradbury,Eastwood (Sam 83).

Subs Not Used: Collis, Hammell, Moussa.

Booked: Bradbury.

Goals: Gower 24.

Leeds Ankergren, Richardson, Heath, Michalik, Robbie Elliott,Blake (Healy 82), Kishishev, Douglas, Lewis (Moore 64),Cresswell, Kandol.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Crainey, Carole.

Booked: Robbie Elliott, Kandol, Michalik.

Goals: Healy 88.

Att: 11,274

Ref: N Miller (Co Durham).