Daniel Farke was a frustrated manager after watching his Leeds high-flyers fire blanks at an emotional Ashton Gate.
Farke saw his side dominate for long periods without piercing a tenacious Bristol City under the guidance of head coach Liam Manning for the first time since the tragic death of his baby son Theo.
City goalkeeper Max O’Leary made fine first-half saves from Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James, but some poor finishing or misplaced final passes marred many of the visitors’ best attacks.
Farke said: “We always play to win, rather than avoid losing, and we did more than enough to win this game.
“But we were not at our very best and were wasteful in front of goal. It was a very solid away performance, but we had so many good situations to score.
“If we had got one, it would have opened things up and I am sure more would have followed. But we are respectful of Bristol City, who have started the season well and are a very good side.
“There is frustration over not getting all three points. But it’s my belief that the best defence in a division always wins promotion, so I am delighted with a rock-solid performance today.”
Both sets of fans gave Manning warm applause when he took the field briefly before the game to acknowledge the support he has received. He then supervised operations from the dugout before again going out to applaud the fans at the end.
Farke added: “I don’t really like to speak about what has happened to Liam at the same time as talking about a game because you cannot relate the two. We are talking about missed chances when there is a topic that is so much more important.
“I thought the way the situation was handled today did credit to all involved and I hope it was beneficial for Liam. In the last few weeks all our good wishes and prayers have been with him and that will also be the case in the days to come.”
Manning handed the post match press conference duty to his assistant Chris Hogg, who said: “It spoke volumes for Liam’s character that he was prepared to go onto the pitch today.
“He could have sat in the stand out of the way, but he was determined to thank the supporters for all the outpourings of love and support for him and his family.
“I can only thank them too because they have shown what a strong and proud club we are when everyone pulls together.
“It has been a tough period for the players and they have responded magnificently to extend our unbeaten run to seven games at a very difficult time.
“At the start of the season, there was a feeling that we were conceding some soft goals, but clean sheets away at Middlesbrough and now against a very good Leeds United side show a distinct improvement in that respect.
“They showed in the second half that they have the ability to dominate games and we had to battle hard to get something out of the game.
“I was proud of the players again, as I have been throughout a very emotional period. They have handled themselves brilliantly and everyone involved can feel pride at the way they have pulled together for Liam.
“Ross McCrorie has suffered a hamstring injury and I don’t know yet how serious it is. Marcus McGuane has had to be patient in awaiting his first start and did well. The effort of the whole team was outstanding.”
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