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Boro's long goal drought now stretches back over six games and over a club record ten hours after yet another goalless draw at the Riverside.
It was Boro's third goalless goal on the trot at the Riverside and while they edged the match on chances they could not beat in-form Leeds debutant keeper Jack Butland.
Karanka shuffled his pack and dropped Albert Adomah, Dean Whitehead and Emmanuel Ledesma all dropped and Ben Gibson suspended.
That meant starts for Jacob Butterfield, Kei Kamara, Curtis Main and Kenneth Omeruo while new boy Lee Tomlin and youngsters Bryn Morris and David Atkinson were on the bench – although there was no place in the matchday squad for lively winger Mustapha Carayol.
The Red Faction unveiled 11 banners in the South Stand before the game bearing the names and numbers of the team that started the 2004 Carling Cup final – ten years ago this week.
Boro started brightly in a crackling atmosphere and twice made good probes down the right then on five minutes Butterfield barged through two tackles to lay the ball off to the left for Kamara to cut inside then drill a low 25 yard effort a yard outside the far post.
Then another move down the right as Jozsef Varga over-lapped down the right before being wiped out by Warnock but the ref waved play on.
Boro surged forward again on eight minutes as Leadbitter pushed a ball into the box for Danny Graham to chase but his angled shot was turned behind for a corner then the ref went back to book Wootton for a foul in the build-up.
Leeds made their first serious push forward on 13 minutes as Kebe sent full-back Peltier down the right to cut inside then square towards McCormack but Woodgate arrived with a sliding tackle to block.
Then on 18 minutes they broke down the left and Stewart drilled a low ball across the face of goal but Hunt failed to make contact under pressure from Omeruo.
After a scrappy spell in midfield Boro broke out on 24 minutes as George Friend raced down the left and sent a low cross zipping the far post where Graham came sliding in but just failed to reach it.
Leeds then attacked down the right on 28 minutes and the ball appeared to be over the line before Peltier whipped a cross to the far post but Stewart couldn't quite reach.
Boro had a good chance on the half-hour as Chalobah slotted into Kamara just outside the box but with time to shoot he took a touch and checked inside then was closed down before he could unload.
Then after good defensive work by Chalobah and Varga, Karama flicked through to send Main bursting forward but the offside flag went up.
Leadbitter was booked on 38 minutes for bringing down Kebe as he burst over the half-way line.
Leeds threatened from the short free-kick as Kebe dribbled forward to find Hunt and when he laid it off Murphy sent a low 20 yard effort fizzing just outside the far post.
Boro almost broke the deadlock on 43 minutes when a corner was only headed clear as far as the edge of the box for Butterfield to unleash a screamer that alert keeper Butland did well to tip over.
HALF-TIME: BORO 0 LEEDS 0
Boro almost grabbed the opener within three minutes of the restart as Butterfield sent Friend to the byline to drill in a low cross towards Graham but defender Warnock got there first with a touch that forced keeper Butland into a point blank reflex save.
And they went close again on 51 minutes as Main headed a ball down in the six yard area and as it bounced Kamara took a swing but failed to get a good contact and it screwed sidewards for Graham to put in an overhead kick that bounced at the feet of the keeper and up into his hands.
Leeds hit back with some scrappy possession in the Boro half and won a couple of corners that were easily cleared.
Then on the hour Boro went close again as Leadbitter slotted a diagonal ball to the edge of the box for Graham to hammer an angled effort just over the bar.
And on 66 minutes Main brought down a chip from Leadbitter to fire well over from 25 yards.
On 67 minutes Lee Tomlin came for Kamara to make his debut and quickly won a corner that came to nothing.
Leeds almost broke through on 70 minutes as Kebe sent Stewart racing towards the box but Varga was across quickly to put in a sliding tackle.
On 72 minutes Albert Adomah came on for Main.
The game was opening up now with both sides finding space and Leeds had a half-chance on 73 minutes as McCormack sent one wide from 30 yards.
Then Adomah wriggled down the right and squared across the face of goal but there was no red shirts there.
On 77 minutes Emmanuel Ledesma came on for Butterfield.
And Ledesma was quickly into action as he engineered a golden chance for Boro on 79 minutes, crossing for Adomah eight yards out but when he chested it down and stabbed it goalwards keeper Butland was out quickly to block.
On 81 minutes Leeds put on Smith for Hunt.
Boro had to dig in for a spell and defend some high balls into the box but first Friend then Woodgate blocked efforts in the box.
And on 83 minutes from a long Peltier throw, McCormack sent a sizzling shot through the crowd and while Given did well to tip it onto the post the whistle had already gone for a foul for a push on Woodgate.
Boro broke on 89 minutes as Leadbitter robbed Kebe and sent Adomah down the left. With red shirts streaming forward in numbers Adomah cut the ball back to the edge of the box but Leadbitter blazed over.
Then in stoppage time Graham touched on a ball for Adomah 10 yards out but he was leaningback as he shot and the ball flew over.
BORO (4231): Given,Varga, Omeruo, Woodgate, Friend, Chalobah. Leadbitter, Butterfield (Ledesma 77), Kamara (Tomlin 67), Main (Adomah, 71), Graham. Subs: Konstantopoulos, Whitehead, Morris, Atkinson.
Leeds (433): Butland, Peltier, Wootton, Pearce, Warnock, Murphy, Hunt (Smith 81) Austin, Stewart, McCormack, Kebe. Subs: Cairns, Poleon, Brown, Tonge, Mowatt, Zaliukas.
Ref: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Att: 20,424 (3,211visitors)
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