CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Everton v Leeds 21/12/96 3.00

Everton                 (0) 0 Leeds                   (0) 0 FT

Everton lost ground in the Premiership title race as Leeds held out for their third consecutive goalless draw.

Leeds manager George Graham is sure to look more favourably than Everton's Joe Royle on this result, with the visitors keeping a clean sheet for the fifth successive League match.

But while Graham will be pleased with the way he has shored up the Leeds defence, he must surely be hoping a striker with a proven ability to convert chances will be in his Christmas stocking.

For while Leeds prized open the Everton back line on several occasions, they were guilty of blatantly wasting some fine opportunities.

There was no bigger culprit than Brian Deane. The big striker missed two golden chances to wrap up the points, including an open goal from no more than two yards.

Deane's first glaring miss came just two minutes into the second half, which Leeds dominated after being outplayed in the first period.

From an Ian Rush pass Deane beat the offside trap and with goalkeeper Neville Southall resigned to being beaten, he lifted the ball over the crossbar.

Deane was again left holding his head in his hands two minutes from time, when he spurned a glorious opportunity for his side to win the game.

Rush was again involved, firing in a shot from only six yards which Southall parried. But Deane, almost sliding into the net, somehow managed to divert the ball wide.

In the first half it was Everton who had much the better chances, although they were grateful to Southall for preventing Leeds from gaining an advantage only 10 minutes into the match.

Southall beat away a shot from fellow Welsh stalwart Rush after the former Liverpool star had the ball poked into his path by Lee Sharpe.

But, apart from a Gary Kelly header which dropped just wide of Southall's post, that was the only time the visitors really threatened as Everton carved out the more promising openings.

The best one of all before the break was created by Andrei Kanchelskis, who cut in from the right and hit a fierce shot which was punched away by Martyn, the Ukrainian blasting the rebound over.

Although Kanchelskis was subdued for most of the first period, he was inspired after the break and while he did not create any truly clearcut openings, he was a threat whenever he had the ball.

He set up Ferguson for two headers, but the Scot was firing blanks today and missed the target each time.

Kanchelskis also saw a low shot dip wide and Nick Barmby headed over from a Tony Grant cross on a day when the respective forward lines had clearly left their scoring boots in the dressing-room.