Burnley 0-0 Leeds United: Leaders held by Clarets in low-key match

Burnley secured their 20th clean sheet of the season in a 0-0 stalemate against Championship leaders Leeds United. In difficult conditions in East Lancashire, both sides struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities. The first shot on target didn't come until the 89th minute, when the home goalkeeper, James Trafford, tipped a Dan James effort over the bar.

Scott Parker's third-placed Burnley have not conceded a league goal since December 21st, a run that extended beyond 10 hours in this low-key affair. Ciaran Fleming's first-half header, which went wide, was the best chance for the home side in a match played in torrential rain that never really took off.

The draw extended Leeds United's lead over second-placed Sheffield United to two points in the table, and they are now unbeaten in 11 games. Burnley's promotion push is built on their excellent defensive record, having conceded just nine goals in 29 games, and they are now just five clean sheets away from equalling the Championship record of 25 in a season, held by Queens Park Rangers.

However, while they extended their unbeaten run to 16 games, Monday's draw was their ninth 0-0 of the season, and offensively, their 36 goals are the same as 21st-placed Portsmouth. The game always looked likely to end in a draw, but an energetic opening few minutes at least briefly hinted at an open contest.

That was not to be the case, though, and despite Leeds United dominating possession for much of the game, they were unable to pull the well-drilled home side out of position. Burnley, who thrashed Plymouth last week, scoring five, their first time scoring more than twice in a league match since August, only had eight touches in the Leeds box all night, with Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier untested.

Indeed, the West Yorkshire side have now gone two games without conceding a shot on target, following their 2-0 win over Norwich on Wednesday. Daniel Farke's side are the league's top scorers with 53 goals, but only 18 of those have come away from home. The ability to turn tight games in their favor could be vital to their automatic promotion push as the season enters its final stages.

They host an improving Cardiff on Saturday, while Parker takes his side, who are three points behind Leeds and one point behind second-placed Sheffield United, to struggling Portsmouth on the same day.

Burnley manager Scott Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I think I'm content with a point overall. Undeniably, we were up against a very good side, an attacking side, with real quality in their ranks. I thought we had some chances in the first half and we went about it in the right way. In the second half, they were probably more on top and we lacked a little bit."

"I know it's not fashionable, but what we're doing defensively as a collective and as a group is absolutely phenomenal and it gives us a platform. There are aspects of our game that we need to improve and get better at, and that probably comes in the final attacking third. I don't think that was our big issue today, I just think it was our overall control of the game, and that's also credit to Leeds."

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke said: "It's a good point for us, a good point away from home. I was pleased with our defensive performance. It was a game between two of the best teams in the league in difficult conditions. I don't think there were any big mistakes from either side. I was quite pleased with how we controlled them, but without the ball, I want us to be more confident around the box."

"It wasn't an unbelievable advert today, it wasn't a great football game, but this is often how it is when two of the best teams in the league play against each other. It wasn't the most exciting game, but our fans have a good understanding of the game, and they know how complicated it is to play a game like this against a strong opponent."