Leeds United 1-2 Carlisle United

Three world class saves from the PFA League One keeper of the year Kieren Westwood, which would of graced any football pitch anywhere in the world, helped keep Leeds at bay until the very end of the match.

After a bright start from both sides, it was Leeds who had the chance to take an early lead when Freedman's curling effort looked to be goal-bound, but Westwood dived full length to get a strong hand to the ball and turn it away for a corner.

Carlisle's midfield worked tirelessly and began to dominate the centre of the park, reducing Leeds to punt long balls forward, hoping that either Freedman or his strike partner Jermaine Beckford could get on the end of it.

But it was Carlisle who should have taken the lead when Danny Graham found himself alone at the far post, but his unopposed header was too close to Casper Ankergren in the Leeds goal and the big keeper was able to parry the ball away for a corner.

The Leeds defence dealt with that set-piece comfortably and dashed up the other end in a counter-attack that culminated in Freedman curling an effort just wide.

Minutes later and Westwood again pulled off a save of some class, this time from a Beckford effort from the edge of the area.

Controversy soon followed when Carlisle were awarded a corner, despite the last touch clearly coming off striker Graham.

Leeds cleared the resulting set-piece, but only as far as Simon Hackney, whose goal-bound volley deflected off Graham's backside and past the wrong-footed Ankergren, giving the visitors a deserved lead.

Elland Road fell silent, although the home side nearly levelled just before the interval when Beckford lost his marker and raced onto a throughball, but the brilliant Westwood was off his line early enough to narrow the shooting angle and smother the youngster's effort.

Three minutes after the restart, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson took advantage of some poor Leeds defending and Ankergren had to be alert to race from his line to clear.

However, two minutes later, Bridge-Wilkinson was in the right place to get on the end of a Horwood cross after Leeds had given the ball away in mid-field and he beat the defender to slide the ball home.

From then on, Carlisle were understandably happy to sit back and shut up shop.

Leeds nearly clawed a goal back in fortunate circumstances when a wicked deflection from Carlisle defender Paul Arnison look set to loop over the head of Westwood, but the custodian, who was enjoying the night of his life, showed terrific agility to stretch backwards and tip the ball over the bar.

And it was hard not to feel sorry for the 23-year-old stopper when Carlisle's obdurate defence was eventually breached at the death when Freedman popped up to give Leeds some hope of turning the tie around at Brunton Park on Thursday night.