Westwood was beaten by Freedman's scrambled finish fully five minutes into injury-time on Monday night, and the crucial strike at the end of a pulsating first leg has left the League One play-off semi-final between Leeds and Carlisle delicately balanced.

Carlisle grasped the initiative with a 2-1 victory in Yorkshire, but Freedman's strike – a close-range shot in the 96th minute – denied John Ward's side a two-goal lead which many at Elland Road feared would prove decisive during the return leg at Brunton Park tomorrow night.

Leeds will travel to Cumbria knowing anything less than a victory over 90 minutes would end their bid for promotion to the Championship but the pressure on Gary McAllister's players has been eased by their late reply on Monday.


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Westwood, however, denied that the injury-time goal had dampened Carlisle's optimism, and insisted the victory alone was enough to strengthen Carlisle's chance of an appearance at Wembley in the play-off final on May 25.

The 23-year-old said: "Their crowd stuck with them and over the whole course of the game they probably deserved a goal, even though it came a bit late.

"I don't think it's a disappointment. Other people will see it that way but all the lads are buzzing.

"Nobody was down. Why should we be? To come and win at Elland Road is a massive confidence boost.

"Leeds are a massive club with a massive fanbase and it's not so long since they were playing Champions League football.

"We were 10th in the Conference a few years ago and now we're playing teams like that in the League One play-offs.

"It's a massive stage, the League One play-off semi-finals at Elland Road against Leeds in front of 36,000 (supporters). You can't help but enjoy it. If you don't, you shouldn't be on the pitch.

"It was a great game to play in and I thought we played some fantastic football. We kept the ball brilliantly compared with some of our recent games."

Carlisle's victory on Monday – only their second win in nine matches – was aided by a near faultless performance from Westwood, who enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a collection of excellent saves.

The former Manchester City trainee made two brilliant blocks from Freedman and Jermaine Beckford in the first half – the second save denying an effort which McAllister believed was heading for the net – and his success in repelling another Beckford effort with his legs shortly before half-time protected Carlisle's 1-0 lead at a key stage.

Westwood admitted he had been pleased with his first block from Beckford – a full-length stop in front of Elland Road's Kop – saying: "It was a good save, off my absolute fingertips.

"Jermaine was giving me a bit of banter on the pitch – it was like me against Jermaine at times.