David James salvaged a precious point for Manchester City with a dramatic late penalty save as their crucial relegation battle with Leicester boiled over at the Walkers Stadium.

James dived to his right to parry Paul Dickov's spot-kick after referee Andy D'Urso had pointed to the spot for Michael Tarnat's foul on Muzzy Izzet.

The decision sparked uproar with City players surrounding the referee claiming Izzet had earlier used his hand to control the ball.

And when Richard Dunne chased Izzet and began a shoving match, the pitch almost became a battle zone with both benches emptying and a number of melees breaking out.

City were further enraged deep into injury-time when Nicolas Anelka burst clear but was pulled back by D'Urso who blew for an earlier infringement.

When the dust cleared a point was not good enough for the Foxes and may not be for City, who may be saved entering the drop zone by goal difference alone if Leeds win against Portsmouth on Sunday.

It is quite a nosedive for a team who led the Premiership in August but whose run of just two wins in 23 games prior to Saturday's stormy clash had left them teetering on the edge.

City looked set to battle their way out of danger after Tarnat's long-range free-kick gave them a scarcely deserved lead in first-half injury-time.

But Leicester piled forward with James Scowcroft's header equalising after 65 minutes and setting up the most dramatic of finales which ended with Trevor Sinclair shooting straight at Walker from point-blank range in injury-time.

Keegan's desperate bid to halt his side's dramatic slide began with the brave decision to recall Joey Barton despite his much-publicised walk-out seven days ago.

Despite Barton's obvious excesses - beginning with a first-minute foul on Steffen Freund - the decision proved a good one with the youngster holding together the City midfield.

Keegan's other big move to bring back Paulo Wanchope in place of Robbie Fowler proved less successful.

The gangly Costa Rican proved completely ineffective throughout the afternoon and left Anelka a tough job virtually on his own up front.

Leicester had settled their nerves first in a tense atmosphere, pressuring the visitors' back line with Muzzy Izzet's numerous set-plays causing particular problems.

The recalled Peter Canero also stretched Keegan's men on the right flank while the visitors failed to settle and lacked creativity in the opening stages.

Les Ferdinand came closest in the 21st minute when he rose to meet Freund's long throw from the right but James finger-tipped his header over the bar.

Two minutes later home keeper Walker almost gifted the visitors the lead in bizarre fashion.

Walker whacked a goal-kick straight at Anelka 30 yards out but the Frenchman blew his big chance when he tried to round the keeper in the box and Walker saved bravely at his feet.

Anelka missed another chance in the 27th minute when he slipped shoddy Leicester marking to reach James' long goal-kick but his attempted lob fell short.

Paul Bosvelt tried his luck from long-range just past the half-hour but his drive was deflected and did not trouble Walker.

Ferdinand whacked a low shot into the side-netting five minutes before the break and Paul Dickov failed to make the most of a free header in the box.

But just when things looked promising for the home side City grabbed the lead out of nowhere with Tarnat's left-foot free-kick deflecting off Frank Sinclair and squeezing past Walker.

The Foxes had no option but to pile on the pressure in the second half with the pacey Marcus Bent replacing Ferdinand.

City reverted to ultra-defensive mode in a desperate bid to hang onto their three vital points - and Leicester's kamikaze bid almost cost them dear.

Anelka burst clear on a 55th minute counter-attack in which Wanchope and Shaun Wright-Phillips joined him in bearing down in the back-pedalling Frank Sinclair.

But Anelka's attempted pass to Wright-Phillips was dreadful and allowed Walker to reach the ball first.

The Frenchman compounded his error by shooting wide two minutes later but Bent failed to take two close-range chances to punish him.

Scowcroft did just that in the 65th minute after Walker's long goal-kick squirted free of Bent and Sylvain Distin, and allowed the former Ipswich man to nod the ball over James for the equaliser.

Anelka missed yet another sitter in the 70th minute when he found himself free close to the Foxes' penalty spot but blazed wide.

Then Izzet was fouled in the box by Tarnat sparking the late uproar which is likely to become the subject of an FA investigation next week.

Teams

Leicester Walker, Sinclair (Guppy 64), Heath, Dabizas, Thatcher, Scowcroft, Izzet, Freund (Nalis 71), Canero, Ferdinand (Bent 45), Dickov.

Subs Not Used: McKinlay, Gillespie.

Booked: Bent.

Goals: Scowcroft 66.

Man City James, Jihai, Distin, Dunne, Tarnat, Wright-Phillips, Barton, Bosvelt, Sinclair, Wanchope, Anelka (Sibierski 90).

Subs Not Used: Reyna, Macken, Arason, Jordan.

Booked: Wanchope.

Goals: Tarnat 45.

Att: 31,457

Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).