Richie Wellens sees red over Leicester's and Newcastle's Respect agenda

This was "the country's first ever Respect fixture". It has taken the Football Association some 3,000 league games to come up with one since launching its "programme to address unacceptable behaviour in football on and off the field". Recent conduct of the England and Manchester United captains made it timely. Perhaps they were getting their disrespect in first, before the heightened profile. "With the Respect code in place, referees want us to stop the yellow and red cards happening even more and, if you like, ruining the game," said Leicester City's captain, Matt Oakley, beforehand. After half an hour his team-mate Richie Wellens was sent off for two yellows. At least he knew how to walk; he had done so eight times before. And his feistiness had ignited a safety match too respectful to be interesting. There­after it was blazing if goalless, Leicester shading it in attack until a bodies-into-the-breach finale. "I thought we were the better side with 11 and the better side with 10," said their manager, Nigel Pearson. "We still have aspirations to be in the play-offs." Despite two points from four games this year they are only two points shy. They have not beaten Newcastle United since Martin O'Neill was in charge, nine managers ago. Newcastle's form is little better and they are the division's pacemakers. Chris Hughton wanted to "make sure we were solid in the middle". They turned out stodgy – so much for Pele's player of the 2002 World Cup, Nicky Butt, though he was not substituted like Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan. This was their fourth draw in five and the win was against Crystal Palace, in greater disarray than they are. Next come Cardiff City, on Friday, hardly better off in the hands of Peter Ridsdale. "Nigel's a very good football person," said Hughton of Pearson, recalling advice he had from a former caretaker at the club. "Chris is a guy I've a lot of time for and he's done an outstanding job," said Pearson. Respect comes more easily to some than to Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. Man of the match Matt Oakley (Leicester)