After losing the first leg of their semi-final against Carlisle in front of 36,297 fans the Whites will have to win by two clear goals in the return at Brunton Park on Thursday if they are to keep the promotion dream alive.

But it could have been even harder as United trailed 2-0 until a 96th minute equaliser from Dougie Freedman gave them what could be a crucial lifeline.

The game was all but over when Paul Huntington launched one last ball forward, Tresor Kandol tried to get his head on it and it dropped down for Freedman to pounce from close range to send the big crowd home with at last something to cheer.

Carlisle had stunned the Elland Road faithful by taking a first half lead when Simon Hackney's 31st minute strike from distance found the net past a wrong footed Casper Ankergren after deflecting off Danny Graham's backside. To compound the frustration the effort had come off a corner wrongly given by the officials.

If the goal owed a big element to luck, the visitors had certainly deserved a goal for their first half enterprise. They also hit the outside of the post through Marc Bridge-Wilkinson as well as forcing Ankergren to make a couple of smart saves and their 4-2-3-1 tactics were giving the home side real defensive problems..

But in a first leg that was far more open than anyone expected, Leeds also had their moments and were denied by three stunning saves from Carlisle keeper Kieran Westwood. First, he tipped a Freedman bender wide then he repeated the trick with an even better finger tip save to deny fit again striker Jermaine Beckford and his third save of note kept out Beckford again when the United man had raced on to an astute pass from Neil Kilkenny.

Leeds needed a big start to the second half, but got the opposite as Jonny Howson was caught in possession on the edge of his own box and was relieved to see Ankergren race out of goal to make another good stop to deny Bridge-Wilkinson.

The relief was only for 90 seconds, however, as Carlisle fashioned their best move of the game, left back Evan Horwood got round the back and delivered a perfect low cross for the elusive Bridge-Wilkinson to tap in from eight yards out.

Leeds' response was initially good as they created a couple of chances straight away, Douglas failing to control the ball when well placed from a Frazer Richardson cross and Beckford firing a snap shot over.

Beckford gave way to substitute Tresor Kandol and the pressure continued to mount with Carlisle's earlier attacking play now giving way to all-out defence and blatant time wasting tactics. Without playing fluently United dominated the final 30 minutes and went close when Westwood had to leap high to turn over a header from his own full back Paul Arnison.

Several shouts for penalties and free-kicks were turned down by referee Tony Bates and the official even managed to get his head on one long shot, deflecting it wide, as well as appearing to tackle Kandol at one point. But it was all getting a bit desperate and although there were more near things towards the end, notably when Bradley Johnson's powerful free-kick was deflected narrowly wide, it looked like a night of sheer frustration for Leeds until the injury time board went up and showed four minutes.

That became six minutes after the referee took an eternity to book Andrew Hughes and Carlisle's Graham took almost as long to leave the field after being substituted and it was in the last of those minutes that the dramatic late goal gave the Whites some hope for the second leg.

They will have to play better and certainly defend better after they have now conceded seven goals against Carlisle this season, but there could well be some more twists and turns to come in this incredible Leeds United season.

Match facts
Leeds United 1
(Freedman 90)
Carlisle United 2
(Graham 31, Bridge-Wilkinson 50)
Monday, May 12, 2008
League One Play-off semi-final, first leg
Att: 36,297
Leeds (4-4-2): Ankergren; Richardson, Michalik; Huntington, Johnson; Kilkenny, Douglas, Howson (Hughes 89), Prutton (Carole 78); Beckford (Kandol 58), Freedman.
Carlisle (4-2-3-1): Westwood; Arnison, Murphy, Livesey, Horwood; Smith (Thirlwell 80), Lumsdon; Dobie, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hackney (Taylor 70); Graham (Madine 90(
Referee: Tony Bates
United MOM: Casper Ankergren