SOBS: LUFC

The Lads welcomed Dorty Leeds to Wearside, and somehow, after turning in by far our worst home performance of the season, didn't lose. It's not that Leeds peppered Roefs with shots, but that they had so many opportunities to do so, and that we, in the second half, persisted with daft intricacies near the dugout rather than hit the space behind their fullbacks. There were also several weird offside decisions against both teams that Still have me baffled. Still, we didn't lose, and we march on - together.

The culmination of a mad Boxing Day fixture list, which featured a single game (and that was at 8pm, featuring The Visitors at the Theatre of Greed), was a blank Saturday for us. Therefore, I watched Forest, and saw their Jesus (and repeatedly seen on TV) waving an imaginary card against Man City but escaping censure - unlike Brobbey a fortnight ago. Consistency, please - and there were cameras all over - why not a quick bleep to the ref? It might not be a goalscoring opportunity, but it might be the difference between a suspension and not a suspension. Sort it out, eh?

As we set off from Bish, (probably before the Leeds fans, and in town by 0940) we discussed, over a pint in the Peacock, with background music from the Futureheads, Lake Poets, and Toy Dolls, the relative positions of the day's combatants - they'd signed some big lads, we'd signed bigger, including two of their apparent summer targets in Sadiki and Diarra.

... and then the team news landed in the Vaults, with no sign of Big Dan. Hey, that's what squads are for, and nice to see young Tuiterov on the bench....

Roefs

Hume Alderete Mukiele Cirkin

Xhaka (c) Geertruida

Adingra Rigg Le Fee

Brobbey

... and a bench of Patterson, Hjelde, Mayenda, Isidor, Tuiterov, Jones (H), Jones (J), Mundle, and Neil.

With more visitors than the Visitors brought, we showed some classic moments on the big screens- which the visiting fans could see, unlike last time. Ain't technology wonderful?

After a poignant and well observed silence, from both sets of fans, for Patrick Treuer, we just kicked off north. A long throw from Nordi won us a corner on our left which was headed away, but we kept forcing them back - basically, shout "keeper" and they gave it to him. An Adingra challenge took its toll on their number 6, then Roefs produced a standard save down to his left when we let them get a shot away. Brobbey was pulled down on halfway out on the right, and the free looked to have been productive until Adingra's cross from the left went behind.

A Leeds free on 13 won them a corner on our left, which we cleared and Cirkin was away - his pass inside was stepped over be Enzo, but for some reason Gerty, on the edge of the box, opted to tickle it through rather than put whatever passes for laces these days through it. Aw, Gerty, man! Take the net out!

A corner brought half a chance, and Rigg win it back after robbed but we couldn't capitalise. A few minutes later, a long throw on our left caused a bit of panic but was patiently played through by Xhaka into the path of Adingra and he placed it oh so carefully across from the left and inside the far post.

Boooom!

A lovely one from Cirkin set Adingra away, but he stalled his run rather than go for broke, then we enjoyed a bit of possession without an end product.

A Leeds corner brought another standard save from Roefs, then off went the broken Rodon. Two more saves from Roefs, one ordinary, one a cracker, preceded an equally lovely dink over the top by Rigg in the five added minutes was only inches too far for Brobbey and the keeper got there first.

Ahead at the break and just about deservedly, but the second half - Leeds did a Sunderland and piled into us from the off, and only a minute had passed when they hit it across the field to their right and the low cross was poked in from a yard or so.

Aw, bugger - and it was almost a second soon after, but we got bodies in the way to allow Rigg to produce a little bit of magic to set Adingra in a run into the box, but there was no foul called when he was upended. Leeds quickly regained the ascendency but failed to give Roefs owt to do, shooting over then failing to shoot at all. Xhaka had to chase 50 yards back to concede a corner after some sloppy play near halfway conceded possession, then Hume was carded for an obvious shirt-pull.

On 67 Rigg and Brobbey were replaced by Issy and Mayenda, with the two subs going up top and Enzo going to the right - which only encouraged us to keep trying the tippy happy stuff near the dugouts, that we invariably lost out in. Roefs was in the right place to save a blast, Cirkin put his head in the way of another shot, then we set Mayenda away and he had his effort blocked. From a free we almost snuck one in at the back post but it was a comfy save for their keeper - unfortunately not Meslier this time.

Off went Adingra in favour of Mundle and we got better, but in the limited time available couldn't get the winner despite applying the sort of pressure we'd live to have seen since 3pm. With the defence consisting basically of Hume, we gave the last few minutes a good go, but even in the added three (only three?) couldn't produce anything.

Draw? Not the desired outcome, but it's a point and, after a performance like that, a very welcome one.

Man of the Match? Second half, nobody. First half, Adingra.