Leeds United's home 'six-pointer' against Watford tomorrow night assumes even greater importance after the weekend results.
While Leeds were held to a goalless draw by managerless Derby County, Watford now hold third place outright after their crushing 4-0 victory over Coventry.
To make matters worse, striker Richard Cresswell may need knee surgery after being injured in training and midfielder Shaun Derry faces his second ban of the season, having collected his ninth yellow card.
Derry is available for the game against Watford but misses the visit to Leicester next Saturday and the home encounter with Luton on Saturday, February 25.
Manager Kevin Blackwell has not yet ruled Cresswell out of the Watford game but he has revealed that if the former York City and Preston striker plays he may need surgery the following day.
David Healy is available after serving a one-match ban, to counter the bad news about Cresswell.
Many Leeds supporters were disappointed that a team going strongly for promotion failed to score against a weakened Derby side facing the threat of relegation and with just one win since the start of December.
Their Achilles heel is an inability to kill off sides in the lower reaches of the table, having also failed to win at Sheffield Wednesday, Crewe and Brighton.
However, United kept a third successive clean sheet - their fourth in five matches - with central defender Sean Gregan again outstanding.
Though disappointed with the result, Blackwell said: "We dominated the first half and I thought we had two strong penalty claims turned down. We were good enough to have taken the points but it wasn't to be.
"We were down to ten men at one stage, when Rob Hulse went off for treatment and they never came out of their half, which shows the respect they had for us. Derby defended solidly. They had to because they are fighting for their lives."
Blackwell believes Leeds are at a disadvantage because they are up there to be shot at.
"Other teams are fired up against us because we are Leeds United, so we have to be up for it more than any other team in this division," he said. "There was no question about the players' attitude."
Clearest penalty claims came after fouls on Rob Hulse in the first half and substitute Ian Moore nine minutes from the end.
Leeds match facts
Coca-Cola Championship
Derby County 0,
Leeds United 0
(at Pride Park Stadium)
Derby County: Camp, Edworthy, Hajto, Moore, Jackson (Doyle 61), Bisgaard (Holmes 74), Bolder, Barnes, Smith, El Hamdaoui, Graham (Peschisolido 74). Subs not used: Poole, Nyatanga. Booked: El Hamdaoui, Hajto.
Leeds United: Sullivan, Kelly, Butler, Gregan, Crainey, Miller, Douglas, Derry, Lewis (Pugh 89), Hulse, Blake (Moore 71). Subs not used: Bennett, Einarsson, Walton. Booked: Derry, Kelly.
Referee: P Dowd.
Attendance: 27,000.
Updated: 11:34 Monday, February 13, 2006
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