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

Boss Mick McCarthy made his promised changes with strike pair Daryl Murphy and Freddie Sears rested and amongst the subs.

Chris Wood and ex-Leeds man Luke Varney were handed their full Blues debuts with Paul Anderson and Jonny Parr starting on the right and left of midfield respectively, and Kevin Bru and Richard Chaplow also dropping to the bench.

Cameron Stewart - who was on loan with the Whites last season - and Paddy Kenny - a former Leeds keeper - Kundai Benyu and Alex Henshall also made the trip but were left out of the 18.

Ex-Whites striker Noel Hunt, who is on crutches and expected to be out for the season due to his medial knee ligament injury, also travelled.

The Blues started brightly and had the ball in the net in only the third minute, Varney heading Luke Chambers's right-wing cross home against his old club but with the linesman’s flag having been raised.

Leeds weren’t far away from going in front in the seventh minute when Lewis Cook sent in a cross from the right towards January Town target Billy Sharp, who hit a shot which looked on its way into the net until Tommy Smith blocked.

Sol Bamba headed over at the far post in the 14th minute after Alex Mowatt had dispossessed Varney on the edge of the Town box on the right following a Leeds freekick which had been half-cleared. Moments later, Tyrone Mings did well to cut out a through ball ahead of Sam Byram,

Neither side threatened again before the half hour mark with the game a typically scrappy Championship affair. The Blues won a number of corners and freekicks in dangerous areas but, as was the case at Norwich on Sunday, failed to make anything of them.

Leeds should have gone ahead in the 35th minute when Christophe Berra slipped when in possession in the left-back position, allowing Byram to cross towards Sharp, who headed wide while under pressure from Smith with the home players and fans calling for a penalty. Referee Mark Brown was unmoved, however.

A minute later, Giuseppe Bellusci smashed a freekick over from 30 yards before play moved back to the other end and Mings won another corner with a dangerous cross from the left. Again it came to nothing.

Three minutes before the break, Leeds keeper Marco Silvestri punched Anderson’s freekick to the edge of the area. Smith and then Wood both had efforts blocked.

The game remained goalless at half-time with little in an evenly balanced first half. The home side had had the better chances but via Town slips at the back rather than through their own guile.

Despite Wood and Varney having linked up well at times and Parr and Mings having looked threatening down the left, the Blues had been unable to test Silvestri in the Leeds goal.

Leeds: Silvestri, Wootton, Bamba, Bellusci, Cooper, Byram, Cook, Murphy, Mowatt, C Taylor, Sharp. Subs: S Taylor, Berardi, Sloth, Doukara, Antenucci, Cani, Morison.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Tabb, Anderson, Parr, Varney, Wood. Subs: Gerken, Clarke, Chaplow, Connolly, Bru, Sears, Murphy. Referee: Mark Brown (East Yorkshire).

Photo: Action Images

SickParrot added 22:10 - Mar 4 I would rather not think about the upcoming fixtures please. My glass is just about empty and there is a bloody wasp sucking up the dregs.
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BriggEnd added 22:11 - Mar 4 Can we chip in to buy 11 parachutes we are in freefall fact
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blueherts added 22:17 - Mar 4 Midfield injuries and defence losing the plot are why we are on the slide Conceded 22 in 24 games pre xmas and 16 in 11 post xmas - defence - inc Bart are giving away goals but also we not picking men up
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