The trip to table-topping Leeds brought a return to the starting line up for midfielders Graham Kavanagh and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson as Greg Abbott looked to win the battle in the centre of the park in an attempt to try and stop the flow of scoring opportunities for the dynamic striking duo of Becchio and Beckford.

Richard Offiong and Scott Dobie remained on the bench with Joe Anyinsah handed the task of leading the Carlisle line on his own.

United made the trip to Elland Road as the last side to take a League One point from the Whites with their 2-0 victory back in January, courtesy of goals from Danny Graham and Michael Bridges in what was a thrilling game for the Cumbrians.

Leeds had the first attack of the night when Howson found space on the right. His cross was at the right height for Becchio but the lively striker couldn't keep it down as he headed it into the stands.

Hesitancy in midfield on 4 minutes allowed Bromby to skip clear down the left wing when Beckford seized possession, but his cross had just too much on it as Snodgrass and Becchio raced into the box.

A long ball into the area was retrieved by Johnson in the 13th minute but his scuffed shot was eventually cleared by Livesey as United kept the defensive doors shut.

Robert Snodgrass shot wide from 23-yards on 19 minutes when his persistence took him through an Ian Harte challenge, and the same player tested the Carlisle defence again with a free kick that had to be dealt with by Richard Keogh.

Referee Mr Booth stunned the whole stadium on 29 minutes when he spotted a nudge inside the area that noone else had seen, presumably for the challenge by Livesey on Mike Doyle. Pidgeley saved the initial penalty but Beckford followed his spot kick up and swept the parried ball into the gaping net.

Snodgrass rattled the woodowork with a curling effort moments later when he ran into the area unchallenged, and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was inches away from an equaliser at the other end when his shot deflected off Doyle and just past the upright.

Match referee Russell Booth took centre stage again on 33 minutes when he marched over to send manager Greg Abbott to the stands following his complaints to the fourth official about the penalty decision, and he continued to frustrate the whole crowd with a string of less than accurate decisions.

A Graham Kavanagh free kick had to be headed away by Doyle shortly before the break, but the Cumbrians were left with a mountain to climb following the ref's inexplicable decision.

Half Time: Leeds 1 - 0 United

The Whites almost extended their lead within 25 seconds of the restart when Becchio nodded a long ball forward into the path of Snodgrass. He had time on his side but he snatched his shot and put it into the side netting.

Beckford went close with a stunning effort on 52 minutes when a quick break found him out wide on the left. He went for a back post lob and Pidgeley was relieved to see it drop over the bar.

Matt Robson brought a near post punch from Ankergren when his thumped cross threatened to sneak in, and Bradley Johnson screwed a shot wide at the other end as the game started to open up.

Jon Howson fed a left foot volley back towards the penalty spot when Snodgrass sneaked the ball over to him from the left flank, and Beckford rose to try and convert it as it whistled away for a goal kick.

The Cumbrians got their deserved equaliser on 75 minutes after a sustained period of pressure when substitute Scott Dobie rose majestically to power an unstoppable header into the back of the net from an accurate Kevan Hurst corner delivery.

Lenny Pidgeley kept United on level terms with a fantastic save on 82 minutes as he had to dive blind behind a ruck of bodies to parry a swerving Snodgrass free kick away to safety.

Danny Livesey slid in and stuck a boot out to divert a dangerous Johnson cross over the bar in the hectic closing stages, and Scott Dobie cleared off the line from a Snodgrass header as the Whites flooded the box.

Beckford lobbed a bouncing forward pass over deep into time added on, and that was that as Carlisle claimed a well-deserved point.

Goals

Leeds - Beckford (30 pen)

United - Dobie (75)

Bookings

United - Kavanagh (70)

Teams 

Leeds - Ankergren, Kisnorbo, Doyle, Naylor, Beckford, Becchio (Showunmi 84), Howson (Prutton 65), Johnson, Hughes, Snodgrass, Bromby (Kilkenny 38). Subs (not used) - Fielding, Grella, Michalik, Robinson.

United - Pidgeley, Raven, Livesey, Keogh, Harte, Hurst, Taiwo (Murphy 85), Kavanagh, Robson, Bridge-Wilkinson (Dobie 70), Anyinsah. Subs (not used) - Collin, Horwood, Rothery, Offiong, Burns.

Away fans - tbc