Town’s game against Leeds at Elland Road remains goalless at the break.

Jay Tabb and Paul Anderson replaced Stephen Hunt and Carlos Edwards in the wide roles in an otherwise unchanged Town line-up.

Hunt — who started only his third game since last April on Saturday - dropped to the bench, while Edwards was left out of the 18 having been subbed at half-time against Reading on Saturday with a groin problem. New loan signing Frazer Richardson was on the bench.

Leeds striker Luke Varney was missing from their squad with Blackburn having been linked. El Hadji Diouf replaced him alongside 18-goal top scorer Ross McCormack.

Town, in their red and black, started brightly, Daryl Murphy hitting a shot against a defender in the opening minute. But after that there was little action of note at either end in a scrappy opening quarter of an hour.

David McGoldrick volleyed a Murphy cross wide having been found in space on the left of the area in the 19th minute, although the game was increasingly being played in the Town half but with Leeds so far unable to create an opening.

As the game moved towards the half hour the Blues began to get on top, winning a couple of corners on the right, Cole Skuse seeing a 30-yard strike deflect wide off Christophe Berra from the second.

On 31 Tabb crossed from the left and Anderson beyond the far post nodded it down to McGoldrick, who scuffed a shot on the turn which Jason Pearce cleared from just in front of the line.

A minute later, McGoldrick played in Ryan Tunnicliffe but the ball got caught under his feet and Tom Lees — wearing a bandage having cut his head — put it behind for a corner.

From the resultant flagkick, the ball was half-cleared back to Anderson, who teed up Tunnicliffe 20 yards out. Leeds keeper Paddy Kenny did well to get down to his right to save the on-loan Manchester United man’s shot and then to block from Murphy as he looked to cut the ball back across the box. Eventually the ball was played back in and skipper Luke Chambers headed over.

Blues keeper Dean Gerken made his first save of the evening in the 37th minute when he got across to his right to push Rudi Austin’s low 25-yard strike wide.

Leeds top scorer Ross McCormack should have put his side in front in the 41st minute but the ball flicked off his head when six yards out having been found by Stephen Warnock’s cross from the left with the impetus now very much back with the home side.

That was as close as either side would get before referee David Webb blew his whistle to signal the end of the first half.

After a very quiet first 20 minutes both teams had had spells on top and created a couple of openings.

Overall, the scoreline was probably a fair reflection, but McCormack will feel he should have put his side in front with his header.

At the other end, Kenny saved well from Tunnicliffe and then Murphy, while McGoldrick failed to connect properly with his two opportunities.

Leeds: Kenny, Byram, Pearce, Lees, Warnock, Kebe, Brown, Austin, Stewart, McCormack, Diouf. Unused: Cairns, Murphy, Pugh, Peltier, Wootton, Poleon, Mowatt.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Anderson, Skuse, Tunnicliffe, Tabb, Murphy, McGoldrick. Unused: Loach, Mings, Richardson, Hunt, Wordsworth, Taylor, Nouble. Referee: David Webb (Lancashire).

Photo: Action Images

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