Leeds United 1, Brentford 1

Winger Robert Snodgrass made no attempt to paper over the cracks that have left Leeds’ automatic promotion prospects in serious doubt and confessed: “We have no-one to blame but ourselves.”

Snodgrass, who helped set up Jermaine Beckford’s equaliser against Brentford, knows United should be taking three points off teams like the Bees, who were operating in League Two last season.

Third-placed Charlton’s 2-0 win against Stockport moved them to within two points of Leeds, who are now a formidable seven points behind leaders Norwich with a game in hand on both rivals.

Snodgrass admitted: “It’s a massive two points dropped because I don’t think Brentford were in the game at all. It was just silly errors as usual which cost us the game.

“We can’t be proud of ourselves coming away with one point from that game. We should be bitterly disappointed. You saw the way we came out of the blocks and Brentford hardly had a shot.

“A few stupid things killed us. They (the people who made the errors) know who they are and know what they have to do better but you can’t blame individuals. It’s a team game and we take the fall as a team and win as a team.”

The Scottish wideman added: “It’s massively frustrating because we’ve been doing well of late. We’re just not picking up points and I thought we were destined for three the way we played.

“They got a goal out of nothing which they didn’t deserve. It gave them a lift and made it an uphill battle for us. We nearly did it and Lubo (Michalik) nearly scored. We had a few chances but we need to take them.”

The chasing pack gained encouragement from the result and Snodgrass said: “It lets them right back into it and we have no-one to blame but ourselves.

“It’s not falling for us the way it was at the start of the season. We were nicking a couple of goals in the last couple of minutes but now it’s not happening. We need to dig deep, show the true signs of champions and see who comes out on top at the end.

“You can’t put your finger on it. We absolutely battered them in spells of the game yet we came away with a draw. In the first half the game should have been dead and buried. There were lots of chances, not clear-cut chances but we should be finishing them.”

United struggled to find a way through Brentford’s stoic defence and Simon Grayson’s men were only saved from falling behind on the half-hour mark by keeper Casper Ankergren, who hared off his line after Sam Wood had been put through by French midfielder Toumani Diagouraga.

Snodgrass had a free-kick well saved as early as the second minute but the passing by both teams was poor on a surface which staged rugby league’s World Club Challenge just six days earlier.

Beckford and Luciano Becchio wasted first-half chances and Gary McSheffrey’s powerful shot only just cleared the bar.

Yet it was Brentford who scored first. United failed to clear Kevin O’Connor’s 59th-minute corner, Charlie MacDonald’s shot struck Ankergren’s body and Ben Strevens netted from close range.

Beckford had two more opportunities before he pounced in the 72nd minute for his 25th goal of the season and his first since January 30.

A cross from the right by Snodgrass found McSheffrey beyond the far post. His pass into the goalmouth was slightly deflected, leaving Beckford with the simple task of netting from two yards.

MacDonald contrived to miss a gaping net three minutes later and Snodgrass should have done better than being forced out wide after racing through a retreating defence.

Grayson gave 37-year-old Paul Dickov his debut by introducing him with ten minutes left but it was fellow substitute Michalik who went closest to a winner when his header rattled against a post in the 90th minute.

Richard Naylor, Shane Lowry and Mike Grella, who all missed Saturday’s game through injury, face fitness checks before tomorrow night’s game in hand at Tranmere.

Andrew Hughes should recover in time after leaving the field early in the second half through illness.