The Hatters added another point towards their quest for Championship survival with a deserved point against promotion-chasing Leeds.

A spirited showing got off to the best possible start when Isaiah Jones volleyed the Town in front after 15 minutes.

Leeds, who came into the game second place in the table, were level 13 minutes later when Dan James curled home a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Despite having the better of the play after the break, the Town couldn’t find a winner but Matt Bloomfield’s side can be happy with a point on the board as they aim for survival in the closing weeks of the season.

The manager made one change to the side that beat Hull last weekend as Jones returned to the starting line-up after recovering from a knock sustained on international duty.

But it was the visitors who threatened first on an early spring afternoon when James headed straight at Kaminski after three minutes.

And the Hatters had Kaminski to thank nine minutes later for keeping the score goalless when reacting superbly to keep out Junior Firpo’s inadvertent effort after the ball had bounced into his path from a free-kick.

Kaminski then prevented Manor Solomon’s effort and, moments later, the Hatters were ahead. Elijah Adebayo sped clear on the counter to feed Jordan Clark and his deep left-wing cross was met by the unerring finish of Jones at the back-post. It was the Guyana international's first goal for the club.

However, the Town’s lead did not last long when Leeds levelled on 28 minutes. The Hatters half-cleared a corner to James on the right-hand side of the penalty area. The Welsh winger cut inside and sent a sweet curling left-foot shot past the despairing dive of Kaminski.

There was no sign of a second for Leeds, though, as, to their credit, the Hatters looked comfortable as half-time approached.

Chris Makosso, imperious all afternoon, was close to getting on the end of a deep Thelo Aasgaard cross on 40 minutes before Adebayo nodded at Karl Darlow two minutes later.

The second half was only a couple of minutes old when the Town lost the physical presence of Adebayo, with the striker helped off the pitch following an innocuous challenge near the dugout. Tahith Chong took the frontman’s place.

Moments after the winger’s introduction the Hatters came close to restoring the lead when Aasgaard took Amari’i Bell’s pass to cut inside and drive a shot goalwards that Darlow did well to parry. Clark fired over the follow-up into row Z of the Kenny end.

But the Town looked anything but a side in the bottom three as they kept the visitors at bay while chasing a winner for themselves.

Kaminski was equal to substitute Patrick Bamford’s shot on 73 minutes but Bloomfield made a triple sub for the final quarter-of-an-hour with Lasse Nordås, Milli Alli and Lamine Fanne introduced in a bid to win the game.

Leeds came closest to a second with eight minutes to go only for Solomon to miss his cue at the back-post after James’ enticing cross but a late defeat would have harsh on the Hatters after a determined display not short on quality.

Eight minutes of additional time came and went without incident with the Hatters the happier with a point come the final whistle.

10,000 Lutonian voices would have taken that before a whistle was blown in the morning and now attention turns to a big one up at Stoke on Tuesday night.

See you then. UTT.

Town: Kaminski; Jones (sub Alli 77), Doughty (sub Lamine Fanne 77), McGuinness, Bell, Makosso; Clark, Walsh (sub Nordås), Aasgaard; Morris, Adebayo (sub Chong 49).

Subs not used: Krul, Naismith, Burke, Nelson, Bowler.

Attendance: 11,860, including 1,273 from Leeds.