Leeds United 1 West Bromwich Albion 1: Unbeaten run goes on but with a warning not to light the cigars just yet

It was far from a disaster, the Whites extending their unbeaten run to 17 league matches – their best sequence since the season they won the division above in 1991-92.

But a spirited Baggies took two points off them with a 1-1 draw that was as much about their own sloppiness.

In the first half, Leeds looked like a team that had been to the well too often, sloppy and complacent after taking an early lead. Their second-half showing was more intense, but still as ragged.

Had second-half efforts from substitute Mateo Joseph and Daniel James gone under rather than onto the crossbar, it would have papered over things a bit, but this was one of those days when work was a bit of a slog for the league leaders. Yet they still did not lose.

They might well have got away with a win against some teams – maybe even Carlos Corberan's Baggies of early season – but Tony Mowbray's team followed his public pre-match instruction to "throw some punches" and got their reward.

It had looked unlikely after 10 minutes.

Jayden Bogle had started brilliantly again, doing a fantastic job to keep Joe Rodon's pass in play as former Barnsley player Callum Styles threw himself into a tackle.

Bogle's fellow full-back Junior Firpo is in form too, and in the ninth minute he scored his second centre-forward's header in a week, rising brilliantly to another expert James cross.

Leeds have never lost a league game when scoring the opening goal under Daniel Farke and maybe they believed the hype.

The manager got increasingly agitated as passes went astray, screaming at Ao Tanaka and one point, then theatrically swinging a kick after Joe Rothwell's overhit ball. Soon after Pascal Struijk overdid a simple ball down the line to Firpo.

In the 34th minute Rodon and Illan Meslier left a throughball to each other until the goalkeeper decided to step in just before Adam Armstrong could.

Even at 0-0 Leeds had been served a warning, John Swift scuffing Isaac Price's pass enough to put it beyond the far post, but only just.

They kept coming once behind, Mikey Johnston coming inside and hitting a shot at a defender, and Bogle needing an excellent tackle to stop Styles finishing off a dangerous counter attack.

But when Struijk shoved Armstrong in the back after 39th minute, West Brom got both centre-backs onto Bogle at the far post and it was the man behind him, Darnell Furlong, who headed Swift's free-kick in for a deserved equaliser – deserved for the visitors and especially deserved for Leeds.

They re-emerged for the second half unchanged in terms of personnel, but with noticeably more oomph.

Still, though, the errors were there, as was West Brom's defiance.

Price was able to dive into stop Manor Solomon taking advantage of a good scoring position, and Kyle Bartley wore a thumping shot when a corner broke to the winger.

When Bogle slipped Firpo in, the cross deflected harmlessly.

Tanaka played a great ball to the left-back, whose cross found Bogle by accident only for the latter's ball in to be blocked. James shot at Joe Wildsmith.

As Leeds forced the issue and West Brom inevitably had to soak things up a bit, with Solomon regularly finding space in the inside-left channel, the flow became increasingly one-way.

Rothwell, preferred in midfield to Ilia Gruev, found James, who shifted the ball and shot but could not force it through the crowd. Neither could Tanaka, despite trying to pick his way through from the rebound.

Firpo tried a repeat of his goal after 70 minutes, but this time headed over.

Leeds' best chance came shortly after the introduction of Joseph from the bench, a good move involving Firpo and Solomon finding the youngster, who shot against the crossbar as the angle narrowed.

The nagging worry over a sucker-punch was always there late on.

Furlong put a diving header over, Tom Fellows was unable to get over his volley shortly after coming on, and Rodon stopping the substitute with a tackle as he fell that lacked grace but was full of effectiveness

James had the chance for yet another stoppage time goal in the third added minute, but found the woodwork from another tight angle.

Leeds United: Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Rothwell, Tanaka; James, Aaronson (Joseph 72), Solomon (Gnonto 79); Piroe.

Unused substitutes: Ramazani, Guilavogui, Byram, Darlow, Schmidt, Gruev, Debayo.

West Bromwich Albion: Wildsmith; Furlong, Bartley, Heggem, Styles; Mowatt, Molumby; Price (Fellows 83), Swift (Diangana 69), Johnston (Dike 83); Armstrong (Grant 69).

Unused substitutes: Holgate, Diakite, Lankshear, Griffiths, Bany.

Referee: F Hallam (Surrey).