Leeds United missed a great chance to go level on points with Swansea City in second place has a dogged Ipswich Town held them to a goalless draw.
Leeds boss Simon Grayson stuck with the same starting line up that had won at Preston in midweek with Billy Paynter once again leading the attack and new signing Billy Bannan once again on the bench.
Ipswich almost took the lead inside thirty seconds when a ball over the top found Tamas Priskin who fired just wide.
Leeds had to wait until the twelfth minute of the game before testing Marton Fulop in the Ipswich goal.
Gradel cut in from the left before fizzing in a shot from 25 yards that Fulop did well to turn around the post.
Lee Martin then tested Kasper Schmeichel who turned the ball out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, he once again had to be on his toes to tip the ball over the bar.
Gradel was looking the biggest threat for Leeds and twice he went narrowly wide from distance.
Billy Paynter also went close after good work down the Leeds left gave him an opportunity, his shot going wide of the post.
Andy O`Brien then saw his shot saved by the hands of an Ipswich defender that the referee Darren Deadman somehow managed to miss; it was one of many incidents in the first half that incensed the Leeds fans, as Deadman gave one strange decision after another.
Leeds came out of the blocks much better in the second half, John Howson sliced over the bar when well placed and the Robert Snodgrass saw his shot go agonisingly wide of the post.
Paynter then made some room for himself on the left and shot across goal with Fulop getting down well to keep the shot out.
Leeds were dominating the second half and O`Brien saw a fierce shot from the edge of the area go just wide.
Grayson made a double substitution with just under fifteen minutes remaining with leading scorer Luciano Becchio and new signing Barry Bannan entering the fray.
The two combined to put Becchio through on goal but the assistant who couldn`t see an offside in the first half raised his flag for offside when Becchio looked on.
Gradel again forced a save from Fulop and then good work down the right by Lichaj ended with the Ipswich defence scrambling his cross wide of the post.
Despite dominating the second period, Leeds couldn`t find a way past a stubborn Ipswich defence who denied Leeds from scoring at home for the first time since October.
With results once again going Leeds way it was an opportunity missed to climb into the top three.
Leeds will now get ready for a Yorkshire derby at Sheffield United next weekend.
Teams
Leeds
Schmeichel, Lichaj, O`Brien, Bromby, McCartney, Howson (Bannan 76), Gradel, Kilkenny, Snodgrass, Paynter (Becchio 76), Johnson
Subs not used
Higgs, Naylor, Bruce, Somma, Watt
Ipswich
Fulop, McAuley, O`Dea, Delaney, Leadbitter, Martin (Civelli 68), Bullard, Priskin (Scotland 80), Edwards, Dyer (Drury 74), Wickham
Subs not used
Peters, Lee-Barrett, Smith, Hyam
Join Vital Leeds
Vital Leeds offers everything that a Leeds United supporter could wish for. If you can think of something and suggest it, we`ll put it on the website!
With news and views, along with a forum, polls and article comments, everything you need in a fans site is right here!
You can even win prizes, by posting articles comments, posting on the message forum and voting on the polls.
The site is regularly updated with news and views regarding all the current events at Elland Road, alongside a fully interactive message forum.
With news and views, along with a forum, polls and article comments, everything you need in a fans site is right here!
You can even win prizes, by posting articles comments, posting on the message forum and voting on the polls.
Vital is also 100% interactive. Not only can you have your say on the articles and the forum but you can also suggest an article or a poll so you can air your views.
So why not join Vital today?
It’s easy to register here and enjoy getting involved
Message Board
To visit the message board, click here.
Get involved
This website is your website and we are looking for people to help run the site. Do you go to most of the games and have an opinion? Why not write a match report? Perhaps you are a budding journalist or even just someone who is very opinionated? Well why not join our team? If this interests you please contact Vital Leeds .
Vital Leeds is now available on both facebook and twitter, so if you are that way inclined and more importantly understand all this new fangled dangled stuff, feel free to watch us, poke us or whatever else you are meant to do there!
Vital Leeds on:
Vital Leeds on: