It was situation no change for John Ward on the team selection front as he went for the same starting eleven who had taken three points from top of the table side Southend.
A capacity 16,668 crowd packed in to Brunton Park to watch a Leeds United team who boasted an impressive unbeaten League One record, propelling them to within touching distance of the much coveted top spot.
The atmosphere, as expected, was electric and United settled quickly, getting the ball wide. A 3rd minute attack led to a corner, after good work from Anyinsah, and that eventually dropped for Hackney on the edge of the box. He opted for the first time volley, but Marques got in the way, deflecting it behind for a corner.
A mix up in defence on 6 minutes almost cost the home side when Murphy waited for a ball over the top to run on to Westwood. With Kandol and Beckford breathing down his neck he tried to scoop it clear, but it dropped nicely for Carole. He spotted the open goal, and a deft chip was creeping under the bar until Murphy recovered and headed behind for the corner.
The Cumbrians were threatening to break through, halted by the offside flag as they stayed on the shoulder of the last man, and it was Leeds who enjoyed a decent five minute spell that almost brought the opening goal.
Hughes was first to go close, making himself space 22 yards out before curling a lovely shot towards the top corner. Westwood was equal to it, rising high, at full stretch, and tipping it over the bar.
Carole then drilled a half cleared corner back in to the mix in the 14th minute and Beckford, stood dead central and 8 yards out, got a touch that wrong-footed Westwood, but he stayed big and was able to parry it away.
A lovely move in the 24th minute, involving Bridge-Wilkinson and Anyinsah, ended with a nice chest down on the edge of the Leeds area that Lumsdon was able to latch on to. His volley was on target, but the defence did their job, blocking it at source.
Disaster struck for United in the 27th minute when a hopeful ball in to the box from Carole wasn't quite dealt with, and it pinged around in between the defenders. It spun out nicely for Jermaine Beckford, and he made no mistake as he buried it in to the far corner.
It became tight in midfield following the goal, with just a 37th minute Hackney cross testing the Leeds defence as it came round in front of the keeper. He did well to claim it, under pressure from Garner.
Prutton delivered two excellent crosses in reply at the other end, one of which brought a looping header from Kandol, but that was easy for Westwood as he plucked it out of the air.
With Aranalde off the field receiving treatment for an elbow to the face from Kandol, Beckford showed his skill deep in to time added on for the first half when a neat flick took the ball through Livesey's legs. 23 yards from goal he tried to place it in the top corner, but he put too much on it and it flew over the bar.
The half closed with a superb block from Murphy that denied Prutton a clear strike at goal, just as it looked like the ex-England U21 international had done enough to ghost his way in to a goal scoring position.
Half Time: United 0 - 1 Leeds
A very tense start to the second half brought little in the way of action in front of goal, with only an Aranalde slip in the 50th minute giving any kind of opening. Kandol was on to it like a flash, and slid it onwards to Carole, who was up in support. With options in front of him he tried to chip it in to the top of the net, but it was comfortable for Westwood.
Bridge-Wilkinson started to find his crossing range, and it sparked a good period for the Cumbrians as they started to get forward with more confidence.
Anyinsah did well in the 58th minute when he ran on to a ball over the top and cut it back, lobbing it high from tight on the touch line. Joe Garner wasn't one to hesitate, and he battled hard for it as it fell on the 6 yard line. Marques did well to clear it with, it has to be said, absolutely no help from his keeper.
Kandol headed a corner wide on the hour mark, but Carlisle were on top and they made the spell count in dramatic style in the 61st minute. A flat free kick in to the box was cleared, but Simon Hackney took it on his chest before thumping an unstoppable 22 yard volley in to the bottom corner to level the scores.
The Cumbrians kept the pressure on, and the afternoon got much better in the 70th minute when Joe Garner made it 6 for the season when he headed home a wonderful, well thought out corner kick, following a needless error from the yellow shirts.
Wise went for a double substitution as his side struggled to make any second half impact, and it was still United getting forward with more intent. Danny Graham set one up for Hackney in the 78th minute, when he nodded a long ball down in to his path, but he couldn't keep it down on this occasion and it zipped over the bar.
Bridge-Wilkinson put an 18 yard left foot volley wide in the 81st minute, when an Aranalde free kick was poorly dealt with, and Leeds started to lose their cool as their frustration mounted, leaving the foot in the tackle on too many occasions.
It was a solid defensive display from the home side and Leeds were restricted to hopeful long range efforts, finding absolutely no space at all in the final third. Westwood was brave in the 91st minute, thumping clear under real pressure from the forwards, but the Referee had seen an infringement and brought the move to an end.
It was job done deep in to time added on when a short corner routine took everyone by surprise, with Hackney, Graham and Bridge-Wilkinson running in to the area. A whipped low cross appeared to be touched on by Carlton, and it nestled in the bottom of the net with all three players celebrating and with Bridge-Wilkinson and Carlton both claiming the goal.
Goals
United - Hackney (61), Garner (70), Carlton (90)
Leeds - Beckford (27)
Bookings
United - Bridge-Wilkinson
Leeds - Clapham (51), Prutton (61), Heath (66), Hughes (82), Kandol (86)
Teams
United - Westwood, Raven, Murphy, Livesey, Aranalde, Anyinsah (Gall 72), Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hackney, Garner (Carlton (90), Graham. Subs - Howarth, Arnison, Smith.
Leeds - Ankergren, Richardson, Douglas, Marques, Heath, Prutton (Constantine 76), Beckford, Carole (Da Costa 77), Kandol, Hughes, Clapham (Huntington (90). Subs - Weston, Lucas.
Away fans - 3400
