Leeds square up to Carlisle United in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final at a sold-out Elland Road and the clubs' respective promotion ambitions will be decided by Thursday evening after the sides meet again.

The pressure of the situation will become clear when the teams are greeted tonight by a massive attendance at Elland Road, where a capacity crowd is expected to pass 38,000 for the second time this month.

But McAllister is backing his squad to hold their nerve and take a crucial step towards the final on May 25.

McAllister said: "I feel I've got players who, in the heat of the battle, will be able to produce it when it matters.

"It's going to be close and it's going to be tight, but we've got to remain positive and go for it. We've got guys who are bursting to go.

"There's a nice mix of experience, young legs and good athletes, and we arrive at this point of the season quite fresh. They've got every right to go into the play-offs with confidence."

McAllister's players will look to take advantage of the huge attendance, but he does not believe a place in the final will be won or lost this evening.

"It's 180 minutes and there's no need to panic if things go wrong early in the first game," he said. "We've loads of respect for Carlisle and we're expecting a tough contest over two games."