HONOURS were shared in a dour contest at Elland Road yesterday, yet David O’Leary, the Aston Villa manager, left his former stamping ground convinced that he had secured a victory on points. O’Leary’s acrimonious dismissal from Leeds United 18 months ago had meant that his first return to the club where he “lived the dream” with Peter Ridsdale, the former chairman, had been awaited with mixed feelings.

As it turned out, his walk to the opposition dug-out before kick-off was accompanied by rapturous applause. While some would portray the Irishman as the joint architect of Leeds’s financial collapse, it appears the club’s supporters lay no blame at his door.

He was welcomed back like a hero, yet O’Leary was never in any doubt as to his status with the Leeds faithful. “The crowd here didn’t drive me out,” he said. “They were fantastic. They are getting behind Leeds now and I never had a problem with them while I was here.”

O’Leary’s grand entrance must have stuck in the throat of Eddie Gray, the Leeds caretaker manager, who fell out with his former colleague when O’Leary appointed Brian Kidd as head coach and left the Leeds legend to deal with more mundane matters such as scouting. Nothing would have given Gray greater pleasure than to have seen Leeds continue their recent renaissance with another victory at the expense of O’Leary’s team.

The fact that it did not happen owed much to the lack of support offered to Mark Viduka in attack and the visiting team’s stubborn determination in most areas of the field. In truth, neither side deserved to win and it is a safe bet that both Leeds and Aston Villa will be looking over their shoulders until the final week of the season, even though the home side extended their unbeaten run to five games and Villa have lost just one of their past seven.

James Milner wasted the best chance of the first half for Leeds, fluffing his shot after Paul Robinson’s punt upfield caught the Villa defence flat-footed, while, on the stroke of half-time, Juan Pablo Ángel had a goal for Villa disallowed for handball. Michael Duberry, desperate to impress the manager who largely ignored him during his reign at Elland Road, was also frustrated when his clinical finish to Milner’s free kick in the 54th minute was adjudged offside.

Although Thomas Sorensen, in the Villa goal, had to cling to a skidding drive from Alan Smith in the closing stages, such is the fraught nature of the Premiership this season that both sides were most concerned with not giving anything away.

Leeds travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers tomorrow needing to land a blow on one of their closest relegation rivals. “A point would be good away from home but we will be going there to win all three,” Gray said. “It will be a huge battle right until the end of the season but this result gives us a little bit more confidence and belief that we can get the results we need.”

LEEDS UNITED (4-5-1): P Robinson — G Kelly, M Duberry, M Kilgallon, I Harte — J Pennant (sub: A Lennon, 72min), D Batty, A Smith, D Matteo (sub: E Bakke, 64), J Milner — M Viduka. Substitutes not used: S Carson, L Sakho, S McPhail.

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): T Sorensen — M Delaney, O Mellberg, D Dublin, J Samuel — L Hendrie (sub: D Vassell, 66), P Whittingham, G McCann, G Barry — S Moore (sub: T Hitzlsperger, 66), J P Ángel. Substitutes not used: S Postma, U De La Cruz, R Johnsen. Booked: Dublin, Whittingham.

Referee: S Bennett.