Albion had to settle for a point against Leeds from a 0-0 draw on a frustrating evening at the Amex.
Graham Potter’s team should have wrapped up the three points by half-time but Leo Trossard and Jakub Moder were denied by the woodwork and the returning Neal Maupay missed two chances he would normally have expected to score.
It was a bit more even in the second half but still Albion had the better opportunities with substitute Solly March denied by the post and Moder missing the target from eight yards. Albion have now drawn seven of their last nine games in all competitions.
There were three changes to the side beaten by Aston Villa. Rob Sanchez returned in goal and there were recalls for Neal Maupay and Joel Veltman. Jason Steele, Adam Lallana and Shane Duffy dropped to the bench.
With Veltman slotting in at right back Tariq Lamptey was in a more advanced role on the right and he was a threat to Leeds from the start.
In the fourth minute he created a chance for Jakub Moder and the Polish midfielder, eight yards out and unmarked, fired over when he should have worked the keeper.
Lamptey was involved again four minutes later. He skipped past Junior Firno, who had been booked for hacking him down moments earlier, and found Moder. He helped the ball to Maupay unmarked six yards out but he fired over. A great chance.
After a period of ebb and flow Albion upped the ante again and the lively Leandro Trossard was denied by the post when his angled effort beat Ilan Meslier, but came back off the left-hand upright.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic. Dan James, a player under Graham Potter at Swansea, wasn’t far away from converting at the far post when Raphina’s free-kick took a deflection in a crowded box. Albion came again and Meslier got behind another effort on target from Trossard.
The woodwork came to Leeds’ rescue again when Moder broke into the box and his cross clipped the corner of post and bar. With a third of the contest gone Albion fans were scratching their heads as to why their side wasn’t at least a goal to the good.
The chances kept coming. Lamptey produced another telling burst in the 37th minute to find Maupay but the Frenchman was off target again as his shot slid past the far post. Albion then claimed a penalty for handball when Cooper slid in to clear but the referee rightly ruled it was unintentional.
Leeds made two changes at the break with Firno among those replaced but normal service was resumed as Albion hammered at the door. Lamptey instigated a sweeping right to left move that ended with Trossard forcing Meslier into another decent save.
Sanchez had had little to do but a stinging effort from outside the box stung his palms on a freezing-cold night and he kept out Tyler Roberts’ effort with his feet but in between those rare moments of concern Moder hammered his fists against the turf in frustration when he cut across his marker to meet an inviting pass from Gross but skied his right-foot shot over from ten yards.
Jurgen Locadia replaced Maupay midway through the second half and had a sight of goal in the 75th minute but his effort from inside the D was never troubling Meslier. Solly March replaced Lamptey and threatened straight away with a shot which dipped over the bar after taking a deflection off Dallas.
Jeremy Sarmiento came on for the last nine minutes but Leeds now sensed the opportunity to take all three points and Sanchez came to Albion’s rescue twice in the space of a minute when he made excellent saves to frustrate Dallas and Roberts.
There was still time for Albion to hit the woodwork for a third time when March’s shot squirmed past Meslier, but bounced back into the keeper’s arms.
Goalless it finished with both sides, and Albion in particular, frustrated by a lack of cutting edge.
Albion: Sanchez, Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Cucurella, Lamptey (March 76), Bissouma, Moder (Sarmiento 81), Gross, Trossard, Maupay (Locadia 67).
Unused subs: Steele, Mac Allister, Mwepu, Lallana, Duffy, Richards.
Attendance: 31,166