Aston Villa - 0 Leeds Utd - 0 Half a decent game of football struggled to emerge from a maze of unfinished movements and haphazard thinking yesterday but never quite made it.
Indifferent matches can be redeemed by a goal or two but this one was not so lucky.
While Leeds United will have taken a modicum of satisfaction in ending Villa's run of three home league victories, the patchiness of their overall performance did little to suggest that Terry Venables is close to achieving the formula for success he is seeking.
At least Graham Taylor's team managed to rouse Villa Park to a few roars of anticipation as they showed the willingness if not quite the ability to break the deadlock as Leeds were pressed back for much of the second half. Given the present antipathy of much of Aston Villa's support this was no small achievement.
The followers of Leeds clearly hoped for something better than 13 points from nine games when Venables succeeded David O'Leary as manager, but they may have to be patient a while longer. On yesterday's evidence the bunsens are still burning but so far the shape of the team owes more to Frankenstein than Einstein.
Yesterday, yet again, Venables tried fitting the human bits and pieces together in a different order but Leeds continued to lurch along disjointedly. For the second time in four days Mark Viduka was left on the bench as Alan Smith played up front with Lee Bowyer, Nick Barmby and Harry Kewell attempting to give him close support but some of the players looked uneasy with this arrangement.
While Barmby was all bustle and industry Bowyer struggled to get his angles and shots right and Kewell seemed to lose interest whenever the ball was played behind him.
And when Viduka, who had never been dropped before last Thursday's UEFA Cup match in the Ukraine, eventually reappeared, he looked a stiff of longer standing.
There was more substance about Aston Villa's performance. The lofty presence of Dion Dublin, restored to favour following a renewed burst of scoring, gave their attack the sort of focal point their opponents lacked and the pace and tenacity of Darius Vassell in feeding off the striker's nods and knockdowns ensured that the better performances in the Leeds team came from their centre-backs, Jonathan Woodgate and Dominic Matteo.
The longer the match progressed, however, the more Villa looked to the flanks for the provision of scoring chances, particular the right wing from where Ulises de la Cruz provided accurate crosses. The game did start to achieve a pleasing rhythm and fluency when Aston Villa's midfield started to pass and move with conviction. Despite a number of substitute disruptions Villa maintained and even increased their attacking pressure.
The finishing, however, was mutually indifferent. Dublin several times outjumped the Leeds defence in scoring situations but yesterday his headers were not hitting the target and the alacrity with which Vassell set himself up was not matched by his shooting.
While a win would have flattered Leeds they had more clearcut opportunities to score. They really need to do much, much better. Already their season is starting to drift.
ASTON VILLA: Enckelman, Mellberg, Staunton, Johnsen (Leonhardsen 14), Barry, De la Cruz, Hendrie, Samuel, Kinsella, Dublin, Vassell, Leonhardsen (Angel 45). Subs Not Used: Postma, Allback, Crouch. Booked: Vassell.
LEEDS: Robinson, Mills, Woodgate, Matteo, Harte, Bowyer, Barmby, McPhail (Viduka 67), Bakke, Kewell, Smith. Subs Not Used: Martyn, Kelly, Lucic, McMaster. Booked: Mills.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
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