Will we ever beat Cardiff City again? Leeds were looking to get back to winning ways after losing during the week at Birmingham and many United followers thought that today might be the day the Whites finally recorded their first win over Cardiff in 26 years. United had lost their last six against the visitors but could have climbed to third in the table with a win. Simon Grayson didn't make any changes to his side for the game which meant Robert Snodgrass was deemed fit to play despite struggling with a back injury. For Cardiff, Kenny Miller and Robert Earnshaw were restricted to the substitutes bench as Joe Mason led the line for City.
The United strike force was made up of two former Cardiff men in Ross McCormack and Andy Keogh and it was those two who were first to test David Marshall in the Bluebirds goal. Keogh forcing Marshall to pull off a good save after his header looked destined for the net. Rachubka was also called into action at the other end as he did well to deny Aron Gunnarsson. Just as United looked to take control of the game, disaster struck and it was 1-0 to the visitors. It was yet another defensive error and question marks have since been raised as to whether Darren O'Dea should have been on the pitch at all after he left the field of play shortly after to be replaced by Patrick Kisnorbo. The Irish centre half, who had been the hero last weekend at Peterborough, had taken a knock at Birmingham and didn't seem to know where he was as he allowed Cardiff front man Joe Mason to nick in for the visitors and score after seemingly being favourite to get to the ball and clear it.
Darren O'Dea's error cost Leeds all three points.
It was pretty much all Leeds after the visitors had taken the lead and despite the two sides mustering 47 goals between them so far this season the Whites were extremely wasteful in front of goal. If Leeds don't want to miss out on the play offs for the second year in a row, they must stop gifting the opposition goals and stop missing their chances because the two just don't mix. Snodgrass, Keogh, Clayton and McCormack all missed chances for the hosts, the latter now without a goal for 4 matches. He was determined to get a goal against his previous club but Marshall was having none of it and repelled the Scotsman's efforts on several occasions. Howson was also denied by a good block from City defender Mark Hudson, United's number 14 was also foiled by a good save from Marshall, who got down low to Keep the Leeds skipper out.
United did eventually get what their domination deserved and Marshall was finally beaten. It was route one football as Kisnorbo pumped forward a free kick, Tom Lees did well to nod the ball on and it was Robert Snodgrass who got his foot to the ball and he poked it in the net for an equaliser much to the delight of the Scotland International and the Elland Road faithful. The risk, if there was one, to play Snodgrass payed off for Grayson as the winger notched his second goal of the season to level the scores.
Snodgrass rescued a point for the hosts.
United almost stole all three points when substitute Lloyd Sam's cross was headed wide by Tom Lees but Cardiff also could of won it and Aidy White, who put in another top performance and has well and truly made the left back spot his own, cleared the ball from just under Rachubka's bar when Aron Gunnarsson could smell a winner. It was a game that the hosts should have won but at least a seventh consecutive defeat against Cardiff was avoided and I believe it does show how far we have come as a side when you look at the same fixture last season when we were thumped 4-0 by Cardiff at home. The Blackpool game is now a must win for Leeds who lay just outside the play offs in seventh.
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