All Square: United 1 Blades 1
leedsunited.com
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell made one change to the side that beat Southampton earlier in the week. It was a change that had been half expected with Matthew Kilgallon replacing Sean Gregan at centre-half.
Robbie Blake kept his place in the starting line-up after his goal on Tuesday evening, which
meant David Healy was left on the bench.
Sheffield United made no less than five changes to the side that thrashed Millwall 4-0 on the same night Leeds overcame the Saints, with the most significant changes coming upfront where Neil Shipperley and Steve Kabba started.
The Match
Leeds started off nervously and the visitors put them under pressure early without troubling Neil Sullivan too much.
Phil Jagielka was the first player to threaten as he tried a 25-yard drive that only just missed Neil Sullivan's right hand upright.
Rob Hulse appeared to take a bit of an early knock when Chris Morgan went in hard for a tackle on the striker, fortunately he quickly shook off the problem.
Leeds nearly put themselves into trouble when a Gary Kelly back header was not strong enough and Ifill got in on goal but fortunately Sullivan was there to block the shot with his body.
The Whites gradually started to get control of the ball and had their best spell just after the quarter hour mark when they created a number of half chances.
Skipper Paul Butler stepped out of the back four and found Frazer Richardson with a bit of space to run into the area, but his low drive was straight at the keeper and lacked power.
Eddie Lewis then sent a devilish cross into the danger area but both Hulse eand Blake couldn't get any contact on the ball.
A minute later Richardson delivered a low pass to Hulse 12 yards out and he managed to turn Morgan but shot wide of the left hand upright.
With 20 minutes gone Sheffield United had their best chance when Kabba broke clear on the left of the penalty area but his powerful shot drew a good save from Sullivan.
Sullivan produced another fine save from the same player just two minutes later. Kabba ran along the edge of the penalty area as Leeds missed their tackles and eventually he hit a great strike but it was straight at Sullivan and he was able to turn it over his bar for a corner.
Dan Harding then nearly helped himself to a spectacular goal when he cut inside and hit a right footed drive from 25-yards that grazed the top of the crossbar with the keeper well beaten.
Gary Kelly was the first player to pick up a booking on the half hour when he blocked Jagielka off after the midfielder had nutmegged him.
The chance of the half though fell to Leeds on 36 minutes and it was missed by Rob Hulse, the man whose rich vein of form has helped United into fourth place.
Blake's cross from the right was flicked off a defender right onto Hulse's head but he somehow put his diving header wide from inside the six yard box.
Rob Hulse picked up a needless booking with five minutes of the half left when he was went in for a two footed tackle from behind on the Blades tricky winger Alan Quinn.
At half-time it would have been a brave punter to pick a winner out of these two teams.
Both sides were unchanged after the break and it was Leeds who applied the pressure first. Robbie Blake was lively in and around the area and gradually it looked as if something might just come for Leeds if they kept plugging away.
The breakthrough came on 53 minutes and it was a piece of individual brilliance from Frazer Richardson that finished off a great break from Leeds.
Robbie Blake was the provider after his intelligent running on the ball created a bit of space, and he simply fed Richardson on the right hand side of the area. The winger still had to get past the left-back Alan Wright, and he left him for dead in doing so before smashing an unstoppable drive into the net.
Elland Road erupted with joy at what was only Richardson's third Leeds United goal - but Leeds had won both of those. Now they had to either try and build on their lead or consolidate.
It didn't exactly go to plan though, Leeds were pinned back inside their own half, Kilgallon escaped when his poor header fell to Ifill on the edge of the area and Sullivan plucked a few crosses out of the air.
Sheffield United made a couple of changes, bringing Gillespie and Webber - who had scored twice in the 4-0 win for the Blades last season - on and taking Shipperley and Ifill off. It was a move that produced a near instant return for Warnock.
The equaliser came on 69 minutes, United struggled to clear their lines and Webber passed it wide on the edge of the area to Kabba and the striker hit it under Kilgallon's legs and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Back to square one.
David Healy came on with just over quarter of an hour remaining for Robbie Blake with Leeds looking to get back in front again. Gylfi Einarsson also replaced Richardson and Ian Moore later came on for Jonathan Douglas.
Rob Hulse had a chance inside the final five minutes when he managed to turn his man again inside the box but he shot high and wide from a narrow angle.
Substitute Ian Moore set himself up for a shot on the edge of the area but his effort was tame and easily grabbed by Kenny in the visitors goal. In the end both sides had to settle for a point, and you wonder just how valuable it will prove to be for both teams, unseparable at the death.
leedsunited.com
Pre-Match
United boss Kevin Blackwell made one change to the side that beat Southampton earlier in the week. It was a change that had been half expected with Matthew Kilgallon replacing Sean Gregan at centre-half.
Robbie Blake kept his place in the starting line-up after his goal on Tuesday evening, which
meant David Healy was left on the bench.Sheffield United made no less than five changes to the side that thrashed Millwall 4-0 on the same night Leeds overcame the Saints, with the most significant changes coming upfront where Neil Shipperley and Steve Kabba started.
The Match
Leeds started off nervously and the visitors put them under pressure early without troubling Neil Sullivan too much.
Phil Jagielka was the first player to threaten as he tried a 25-yard drive that only just missed Neil Sullivan's right hand upright.
Rob Hulse appeared to take a bit of an early knock when Chris Morgan went in hard for a tackle on the striker, fortunately he quickly shook off the problem.
Leeds nearly put themselves into trouble when a Gary Kelly back header was not strong enough and Ifill got in on goal but fortunately Sullivan was there to block the shot with his body.
The Whites gradually started to get control of the ball and had their best spell just after the quarter hour mark when they created a number of half chances.
Skipper Paul Butler stepped out of the back four and found Frazer Richardson with a bit of space to run into the area, but his low drive was straight at the keeper and lacked power.
Eddie Lewis then sent a devilish cross into the danger area but both Hulse eand Blake couldn't get any contact on the ball.
A minute later Richardson delivered a low pass to Hulse 12 yards out and he managed to turn Morgan but shot wide of the left hand upright.
With 20 minutes gone Sheffield United had their best chance when Kabba broke clear on the left of the penalty area but his powerful shot drew a good save from Sullivan.
Sullivan produced another fine save from the same player just two minutes later. Kabba ran along the edge of the penalty area as Leeds missed their tackles and eventually he hit a great strike but it was straight at Sullivan and he was able to turn it over his bar for a corner.
Dan Harding then nearly helped himself to a spectacular goal when he cut inside and hit a right footed drive from 25-yards that grazed the top of the crossbar with the keeper well beaten.
Gary Kelly was the first player to pick up a booking on the half hour when he blocked Jagielka off after the midfielder had nutmegged him.
The chance of the half though fell to Leeds on 36 minutes and it was missed by Rob Hulse, the man whose rich vein of form has helped United into fourth place.
Blake's cross from the right was flicked off a defender right onto Hulse's head but he somehow put his diving header wide from inside the six yard box.
Rob Hulse picked up a needless booking with five minutes of the half left when he was went in for a two footed tackle from behind on the Blades tricky winger Alan Quinn.
At half-time it would have been a brave punter to pick a winner out of these two teams.
Both sides were unchanged after the break and it was Leeds who applied the pressure first. Robbie Blake was lively in and around the area and gradually it looked as if something might just come for Leeds if they kept plugging away.
The breakthrough came on 53 minutes and it was a piece of individual brilliance from Frazer Richardson that finished off a great break from Leeds.
Robbie Blake was the provider after his intelligent running on the ball created a bit of space, and he simply fed Richardson on the right hand side of the area. The winger still had to get past the left-back Alan Wright, and he left him for dead in doing so before smashing an unstoppable drive into the net.
Elland Road erupted with joy at what was only Richardson's third Leeds United goal - but Leeds had won both of those. Now they had to either try and build on their lead or consolidate.
It didn't exactly go to plan though, Leeds were pinned back inside their own half, Kilgallon escaped when his poor header fell to Ifill on the edge of the area and Sullivan plucked a few crosses out of the air.
Sheffield United made a couple of changes, bringing Gillespie and Webber - who had scored twice in the 4-0 win for the Blades last season - on and taking Shipperley and Ifill off. It was a move that produced a near instant return for Warnock.
The equaliser came on 69 minutes, United struggled to clear their lines and Webber passed it wide on the edge of the area to Kabba and the striker hit it under Kilgallon's legs and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Back to square one.
David Healy came on with just over quarter of an hour remaining for Robbie Blake with Leeds looking to get back in front again. Gylfi Einarsson also replaced Richardson and Ian Moore later came on for Jonathan Douglas.
Rob Hulse had a chance inside the final five minutes when he managed to turn his man again inside the box but he shot high and wide from a narrow angle.
Substitute Ian Moore set himself up for a shot on the edge of the area but his effort was tame and easily grabbed by Kenny in the visitors goal. In the end both sides had to settle for a point, and you wonder just how valuable it will prove to be for both teams, unseparable at the death.