Hull City 1 Leeds Utd 0: Parkin gives Hull bite as Leeds get the jitters

A few weeks ago, all the talk in Yorkshire was of Sheffield United's wobble and Leeds hot pursuit of them for the second automatic promotion place into the Premiership. But with this fifth game without a win, indeed without a goal in three of them, the jitters are all coming from Kevin Blackwell's side who are not even entering the play-offs in the sort of form that encourages thoughts of progress.

"We've lost form in the last third of the field," the Leeds manager admitted, "I've not said a lot to the players. They are obviously disappointed because the prize is so great. I can't fault the effort, but for all the good positions we got ourselves into we kept either firing blanks or lacking imagination."

In fact it was Hull, looking the more composed in defence, who also carried the greater threat in attack and Jon Parkin's 76th-minute goal was the least they deserved. The former Macclesfield forward had already seen a first-half left-foot strike ruled out for offside when Stuart Green crossed from the right and Parkin powered in his header.

For Leeds, Eddie Lewis's third-minute free-kick forced a fine save from Boaz Myhill, but Neil Sullivan in the visitors' goal was the busier keeper saving well from Green, Parkin, Kevin Ellison and, best of all, from a downward header by Leon Cort.