United made their first return to the end of season play-off bonanza since their Conference success at the end of the 2004/05 campaign, facing a Leeds United who were still smarting from the recent arbitration decision that upheld the 15-point reduction put in place at the start of the season.

John Ward brought Marc Bridge-Wilkinson back in to the starting line up, at the expense of Gary Madine, as he tightened things up in midfield. Captain Danny Livesey also came back in to the fold having served his one-match suspension. 

The home fans stoked up a superb atmosphere ahead of kick off, with the thousand strong United contingent responding in kind, tucked away in the South East corner of a packed Elland Road.

The first effort of the evening came from United in the 5th minute when Bridge-Wilkinson tussled for the ball in an advanced position. It broke to Dobie, wide on the right, and he brought Arnison in to play with a measured pass. The Carlisle right back had Ankergren scrambling when his cross, intended for the far post, deflected off Howson and almost wrong footed the big keeper.

The Cumbrians came even closer on 8 minutes when Graham latched on to a weak clearance from Huntington. He swept the ball in to the box, finding Bridge-Wilkinson unmarked 8-yards from the target. The nippy midfielder connected with a sweet volley, but it sprung back off the base of the post, eluding the blue shirts that were following up.

It was an end to end opening, and Leeds forged forward in numbers in the 11th minute, catching Carlisle light at the back. A half clearance fell nicely for Freedman, and his curling 23-yarder had Westwood at full stretch as he launched himself to tip the ball away for a corner. A short routine followed, and Bradley Johnson eventually lofted a neat cross towards Beckford, who had stolen a yard in the middle. Westwood was out to claim it, and he gathered at the third attempt, under pressure from Freedman and Prutton.

Bridge-Wilkinson was justifying his selection with some excellent work in midfield, and he found a superb ball in the 13th minute, when he sent it over for Graham to chase at the far post. The United striker made it his, and brought a near post save out of Ankergren, who had to watch the downward header closely.

Leeds broke quickly from the corner and a flowing move took Beckford in to space, out on the right. He then found Freedman, who had pulled clear on the left hand edge of the box, but his lob was always curling away from the top corner.

Dobie nodded wide just as the game threatened to settle down a bit, when he muscled his way on to a Lumsdon centre, and another Lumsdon cross whipped in front of everyone with the midfielder finding some good possession in the centre of the park.

A Horwood cross had the same end result moments later, but Livesey, Murphy and Arnison were called in to duty at the other end as a huge kick from Ankergren skipped off the surface and set them on their heels. Beckford was there, but the trio combined to get it back in to the safe hands of the keeper.

Keiren Westwood was at his athletic best on the half hour when Leeds again broke at pace, from deep. Freedman wasted no time in releasing Beckford, and his 19-yard shot had goal written all over it until the Carlisle stopper somehow got his fingertips to it.

The better of the attacking play was coming from the visitors, and they got their reward when Hackney refused to be bundled off the ball on the left hand touchline. He drilled a low ball in, and Graham's presence made Ankergren shepherd it away for a corner. That was only half cleared, and Hackney connected with a thundering volley that was deflected by the foot of Danny Graham before coming to rest in the bottom corner.

Leeds were stung by the goal and they threw men forward, putting the United defence under pressure at every opportunity. Johnson and Douglas had runs in to the area blocked off in the 39th minute, and Freedman was disappointed when he had the chance to line up his shot, managing only to send it right at Westwood.

The white shirts unlocked what had been a solid defensive unit in the 43rd minute with some direct football when Kilkenny threaded Beckford on to the overlap. He sprinted clear, but another wonderful save from Westwood denied the ex-Carlisle loanee what would have been a well taken equaliser.

Half Time: Leeds 0 - 1 United

United again started the brighter following the break, and Howson should have been punished in the 49th minute when he dallied on the ball on the edge of his own area. Bridge-Wilkinson stole it, but Ankergren was down quickly to block the 16-yard drive.

The Cumbrians extended their lead in the 50th minute though when they exploited a weakness on the Whites left flank. Grant Smith swept it out to Hackney, who used a drop of the shoulder to disguise a flicked pass to Horwood. He could have opted to shoot as he burst in to the box, but he looked up, spotted Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, and laid it on a plate for the spritely midfielder to bury from just 8 yards.

Beckford had two hopeful shots in reply as Leeds were increasingly restricted to long range efforts, but Arnison was needed to block from Douglas in the 60th minute when the team captain volleyed low and hard, from just inside the box, after a prolonged period of pressure.

It was a steady build up of the proverbial head of steam from the home side, and Westwood had to be at his best again on 67 minutes when Douglas lobbed a far post header back across goal. It was going in until the keeper backtracked and punched it over the bar.

United had a couple of penalty appeals to endure as the game moved in to the final quarter, but Leeds still found it difficult to create anything of note as they constantly found their opponents prepared to throw everything in to defending the two-goal lead.

Kilkenny let another one go from distance in the 83rd minute, and had the crowd on its feet as the ball whistled just inches over the bar. It was hearts in the mouth time in the 87th minute when Leeds won a free kick 20-yards out, and Bradley Johnson was thwarted as Arnison went full stretch to head it over the bar and in to the expectant fans.

Peter Murphy then executed a brave block as Huntington found the ball at his feet from the corner, and United were able to breath easier as they finally cleared their lines.

There was to be a sting in the tail, though, as Dougie Freedman gave his side a lifeline when he bundled the ball over the line after 50 minutes and 51 seconds of play, and the whistle finally blew shortly after, bringing the curtain down on a thrilling encounter.

Goals

Leeds - Freedman (90 + 7)

United - Graham (31), Bridge-Wilkinson (50)

Bookings

Leeds - Hughes (90)

United - Dobie (23), Arnison (76)

Teams 

Leeds - Ankergren, Richardson, Huntington, Douglas, Prutton (Carole 78), Beckford (Kandol 58), Howson (Hughes 90), Johnson, Michalik, Kilkenny, Freedman. Subs - Lucas, Marques.

United - Westwood, Arnison, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Dobie, Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, G Smith (Thirlwell 80), Hackney (Taylor 69), Graham (Madine 90). Subs - Howarth, Campion.

Away fans - 1007