O'Leary's return trip to Elland Road fizzles out into deadlock

Leeds United 0 Aston Villa

Three years ago, as David O'Leary attempted to nurture his precocious Leeds United team into seasoned title contenders, he decided a more sophisticated method of coaching was required.

To that end, Brian Kidd was employed and O'Leary's nominal second-in-command, Eddie Gray, who managed the club in the 1980s, became a marginalised presence. Eventually demoted to a nebulous ambassadorial role last summer, Gray was back in charge of the first team by November.

Yesterday, O'Leary was in the adjacent dugout and Gray could have been forgiven for affording him a frosty welcome.

Not a bit of it. At least, not officially. Gray's programme notes offered a "Christmas welcome" to his former boss, as well as Roy Aitken and Ian Broomfield, both of whom followed O'Leary from Elland Road to the Midlands.

"I said hello to him before the game," was Gray's only comment afterwards.

When O'Leary eventually made his entrance, the home fans' initial reaction was ambivalent. Several encouraging waves later, and the former manager was accorded a warm round of applause, albeit one quickly supplanted by a more sustained chant for the present incumbent.

The game itself was little more than a sideshow and O'Leary was more than happy with another away point to add to the three garnered at Blackburn last weekend. "I've got to say we can play a lot better," he said, "but we're on a better run now, we have been scoring a few more goals, and Leeds is a difficult place to come."

A draw was the natural conclusion between two sides primarily concerned with avoiding defeat; Leeds are now five games unbeaten, while Villa have only lost one of their last seven.

"I didn't think it was a great game," conceded Gray. "In our position, we have to scrap for everything. We didn't have many chances but then neither did they. I would have liked for us to play better but at least we didn't get beat. I said when I took over it would be a real scrap to the end and we've got to keep picking up points wherever we can."

Matthew Kilgallon was given his first Premiership start, as Gray supplemented Leeds' young, home-grown core - an approach not entirely dissimilar to that employed by O'Leary at the beginning of his reign in 1998.

The young central defender, who bears a startling resemblance both in terms of appearance and playing style to one Jonathan Woodgate, improved as the game went on, displaying pace and composure.

Leeds carried more attacking intent but precious little in the way of a goal threat. Villa's best periods came either side of half-time, their only serious attempt on goal coming when Juan Pablo Angel handled the ball in bundling Lee Hendrie's free-kick home.

Alan Smith did offer Mark Viduka more assistance as the game went on and the tireless James Milner again displayed maturity, but when Leeds finally got the ball in the net, Michael Duberry was correctly adjudged offside.

It was as close as they came to denying O'Leary another satisfactory result at Elland Road to add to his collection. "I just made sure that I didn't go into the wrong dugout," he said. "I wasn't surprised by my reception from the fans. They gave me terrific support during my time here and it wasn't them who forced me out."

Leeds United (4-5-1): Robinson 5; Kelly 3, Duberry 3, Kilgallon 6, Harte 3; Pennant 6 (Lennon 5, 72), Smith 4, Batty 4, Matteo 5 (Bakke 4, 63), Milner 5; Viduka 4. Substitutes not used: Carson (gk), Sakho, McPhail.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Sorensen 5; Delaney 4, Dublin 4, Mellberg 4, Samuel 4; Hendrie 3 (Vassell 3, 65), McCann 3, Whittingham 3, Barry 3; Moore 4 (Hitzlsperger 4, 65) Angel 4. Substitutes not used: Postma (gk), De la Cruz, Johnsen

Referee: S Bennett (Orpington) 5.

Booked: Aston Villa: Dublin, Whittingham.

Man of the match: Kilgallon.

Attendance: 38,513.