Mark Sykes struck a last-minute equaliser to snatch Bristol City a 1-1 draw at Sky Bet Championship promotion-chasers Sheffield United.

The point was enough to lift the Blades back to the top of the table, but they were denied a seventh win in eight matches by Sykes’ last-gasp effort after Tyrese Campbell had given them a second-half lead.

Tempers flared in stoppage time after the Blades were denied a penalty when City substitute Cameron Pring shoved Harrison Burrows in the area.

Blades skipper Jack Robinson and City defender Rob Dickie then clashed before a mass melee broke out, with both players, plus George Tanner, booked by referee Stephen Martin.

Two in-form sides served up a host of chances at Bramall Lane before an entertaining contest ended in explosive fashion.

Callum O’Hare and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi both threatened for the Blades inside the opening eight minutes, but City, beaten only once in their previous nine league games, dominated early possession.

Skipper Jason Knight was wayward with his shot after a spell of City pressure before Burrows lifted the home crowd with a vicious, angled drive, which forced visiting goalkeeper Max O’Leary into a fine save.

The Blades’ best first-half chance fell to Rak-Sakyi, whose touch let him down three yards out and in front of goal, albeit under pressure from Tanner’s last-ditch challenge.

A ding-dong first period then saw Blades goalkeeper Michael Cooper claw out Sinclair Armstrong’s goalbound header from Joe Williams’ cross, while O’Leary was in action again before the break to keep out Campbell’s shot on the charge.

Campbell flashed a low effort narrowly wide soon after the restart and City twice went close themselves to breaking the deadlock through substitute Sykes’ header and Scott Twine’s curling effort.

Blades substitute Rhian Brewster’s thumping effort was brilliantly blocked by Zak Vyner as the chances continued to flow.

Brewster’s superb pass then set up Campbell again and this time the Blades striker hit the target to give the home side a 61st-minute lead, spinning away from his marker and steering a low shot into O’Leary’s bottom right-hand corner.

Campbell, whose composed finish was his third goal in as many games and ninth of the season, was replaced by Kieffer Moore soon after.

City piled on the pressure in the closing stages as they chased an equaliser, with substitute Nahki Wells and Williams both seeing shots deflected behind for a corner

The visitors equalised in the 90th minute through Sykes, who finished off an excellent move by lashing in an equaliser before referee Martin’s late penalty decision sparked a fiery ending.