Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Sheffield United 0
Wolverhampton Wanderers knocked Sheffield United off the top of the Championship table.
But that was pretty much all the frozen home fans had to shout about on a hugely disappointing night at Molineux. And it was left to Wolves manager Glenn Hoddle to search with more imagination than his side had shown for a few positives.
Neil Warnock's blunt Blades, missing several key personnel, understandably showed little sign of any attacking initiative on a night when they were displaced on top thanks to Reading's 3-0 win at Ipswich.
But Hoddle's sole consolation was the fact that even the Championship leaders felt the need to join those visitors to Molineux this season who have come intent only on avoiding defeat.
"They punched the air when the final whistle went," pointed out Hoddle. "And I think that said it all.
"They came for a point and you have to take that as a show of respect to us.
"Of all the teams that have come here they probably least affected our goal, so there's another positive to be taken there and it meant a third clean sheet for us."
Hoddle had to be pleased with Wolves defence who have kept three successive clean sheets for the first time since March 2003. But it was clear by the brevity of his post-match comments last night that he was disappointed by the fourth draw in seven games that has seen slide out of the top six.
"They made it very difficult and got a lot of men behind the ball," said Hoddle. "But we didn't have the quality in the last third to open the door.
"We had too many players below par and we only played well up to a point without finding a way to pick the lock. We just didn't get into enough good positions."
Hoddle had called on the Molineux crowd to roar his side to victory. Not that the fans should have needed any extra motivation after witnessing the classy way Wolves destroyed Derby County in front of the TV cameras on Friday night.
But, on a freezing Black Country night, the entertainment on offer proved a letdown. Despite the lively presence of Friday night's hero George Ndah, making only his second league start in two-and-a-half years, Wolves struggled to find a way through the weakened Blades' defence.
This fixture last season served up a scintillating 12 goals shared equally between Molineux and Bramall Lane. But that was in the days when both sides were mere Championship also-rans. The seriousness of this season's promotion battle meant all idea of fun went out of the window.
The best first-half chances fell to the visitors.
Neil Shipperley, who headed the only goal of the game at Bramall Lane in a slightly more attractive first meeting five weeks ago, was left unattended just outside the six-yard box but Stefan Postma was equal to his powerful shot.
Wolves did have one shout for a penalty after Keith Gillespie's clumsy challenge on Lee Naylor. But the closest they came to a goal was through the influential Tom Huddlestone.
The teenager, on-loan from Tottenham Hotspur, had a well-struck, right-foot volley blocked, then powered a 30-yarder just over.
It was even more frustrating after the break.
With the reshuffled United back four having long since won their battle, Wolves only twice looked like warming their fans' hands with a winner.
One flowing four-man move ended with Vio Ganea finding only the side netting.
After Hoddle's late threeman substitution had failed to reap any dividends, Ganea again nearly scored in the dying seconds when he made space for himself with a typically sharp turn only to drill a low left-foot shot straight at keeper Paddy Kenny.
It was the 23rd stalemate of Hoddle's 45 league games in charge and the disappointed fans were left to rely on a frustrated trudge back to their firesides to find anything remotely capable of warming them.
