Hoofs off the goalline by Chelsea's Ashley Cole and Andrei Shevchenko denied first Cristiano Ronaldo then Darren Fletcher what for a blink appeared to be desperate equalisers for Manchester United, but in the minutes after the match had ended in the home side's favour the feelings summed up the season.

There had been brilliant football, bravery, cheating, foul language, laughable incidents of team-mates falling out, almost unbearable tension, the occasional smile, more than enough instances of packs of players surrounding the referee, a few hints of genius and an almighty row afterwards.

Watching games like that you can appreciate how so many people – sound of mind, hard-working, thoroughly decent souls who would be the first to stand up on the bus to let a lady sit down (if travelling on a bus ever crossed their minds) – become hooked on the thrill.

At the other, less glamorous, end of the spectrum there were the hordes from Leeds packed into Yeovil's ground on Friday evening to see the goal which ensured the Elland Road club a place in the promotion play-offs.

One man there in spirit if not body has been in regular touch from Tenerife for the past week, seeking any sliver of information regarding the club's appeal against the deduction of 15 points by the Football League.

We should hear that decision this week and if the tension for those United and Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge or watching on Sky was bad, they ought to be in the shoes of those who follow Leeds and the other clubs whose futures can be affected by the decision of the appeals tribunal.

At the very least the League ought to ensure – promise even – that such a cloud should never again hang over these end-of-season days when dreams can come true or be shattered.