Dougie’s dream

8:38am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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DOUGIE Freedman's last-gasp goal kept Leeds United's fading promotion dream alive ahead of Thursday's League One play-off semi-final, second leg at Carlisle.

The on-loan Crystal Palace striker's 96th-minute effort might have only proved a late consolation in a 2-1 first-leg home defeat, but the psychological impact was not lost on the delirious Leeds fans.

Never can a home defeat have been celebrated so vigorously at Elland Road but, having believed their team would need to overturn a two-goal deficit at Brunton Park, Leeds fans can be forgiven for expressing a collective and raucous sigh of relief.

Carlisle, meanwhile, will now need to contend with the disappointment of being seconds away from taking back an almost unassailable lead to Cumbria.

Whether John Ward's men can produce as polished a performance as they did for the first 50 minutes of last night's match also remains to be seen.

The former York City manager's 4-5-1 formation worked a treat as his side forged into a two-goal lead courtesy of hard-working lone striker David Graham and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson.

For long periods, Leeds' narrow midfield of David Prutton, Jonathan Howson, Jonathan Douglas and Neil Kilkenny struggled to match the superior energy levels and movement of their opponents with the roaming Bridge-Wilkinson popping up everywhere in the final third of the pitch and Simon Hackney proving a constant menace.

The home side did, nevertheless, force Carlisle 'keeper Keiran Westwood into three terrific saves before master poacher Freedman grabbed the 182nd goal of his career to leave the tie's eventual outcome still very much in the balance.

Earlier, a tremendous atmosphere, even by Elland Road standards, was whipped up prior to kick off with a rousing rendition of Marching On Together and both teams responded with a high-tempo first half.

Carlisle showed no sign of a hangover after spectacularly blowing their chance of automatic promotion with Bridge-Wilkinson striking the outside of Casper Ankergren's left-hand post after just eight minutes.

On the half-hour, a curling Beckford effort was brilliantly tipped around his left-hand post by Westwood.

But, a minute later, Carlisle forged ahead when Hackney robbed a dallying Richardson and then crossed for Graham to sidefoot wide only for referee Anthony Bates to award a corner.

Huntington headed out Bridge-Wilkinson's flag kick but only as far as Hackney, whose 30-yard drive deflected off an unwitting Graham's backside into Ankergren's bottom right-hand corner.

Leeds, buoyed by a superb Elland Road crowd, went on to force two more saves from Westwood before the interval.

Carlisle made a lively start to the second half and, on 50 minutes, the visitors extended their lead when Leeds failed to track an overlapping run from former on-loan Minsterman Evan Horwood down the left.

He received the ball from Hackney and then, from the by-line, picked out Bridge-Wilkinson, who reacted quicker than defender Lubomir Michalik to stab the ball into an inviting net.

The home side gradually built up a head of steam with a half-fit Beckford firing over on the turn from 20 yards before making way for Tresor Kandol on 58 minutes.

Westwood needed to produce another impressive fingertip save to prevent a misdirected header from team-mate Paul Arnison dipping under his crossbar before a long-range Bradley Johnson effort deflected wide off the head of relieved referee Bates.

With the four minutes signalled by Bates' fourth official long since elapsed, desperation saw Huntington launch the ball into the box. After Kandol challenged in the air, the ball struck Leeds substitute Andrew Hughes and fell fortuitously at master poacher Freedman's feet four yards out.

The 33-year-old forward fired in and Elland Road erupted, knowing Wembley and promotion back to the Championship remains within their grasp.

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

Carlisle: Westwood, Arnison, Murphy, Livesey, Horwood, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hackney (Taylor, 70), Lumsdon, Smith (Thirlwell, 80), Dobie, Graham (Madine, 90). Referee: Anthony Bates (Burslem).

Attendance: 36,297.