Carlisle United 3 Leeds United 1
Brunton Park, Nov 3, 2007

Carlisle United are rightly proud of the unyielding aura that exists at Brunton Park, but it was Leeds United's form that was the talk of League One when the clubs met in Cumbria on November 3.

Unbeaten in 13 league fixtures, Leeds were beginning a transitional period after losing Gustavo Poyet and replacing their departed assistant with Dave Bassett, who appeared on the touchline for the first time at Brunton Park.

The changeover seemed reassuringly smooth as United eased through the first hour and took the lead with Jermaine Beckford's sharp finish, but a timid Carlisle side emerged from their shells to redress the balance of the game in the final 30 minutes.

Simon Hackney equalised with a classy finish from long-range, and Joe Garner's header gave the hosts the lead with 20 minutes remaining as United fought unsuccessfully to stem the sudden tide.

Their first defeat of the season was confirmed in injury-time when Marc Bridge-Wilkinson broke infield from the left wing and whipped a low shot beyond Casper Ankergren.

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Leeds United 3 Carlisle United 2
Elland Road, April 12, 2008

Carlisle United's ambition of automatic promotion was in their own hands on their arrival at Elland Road, while Leeds United's sat in the palms of an arbitration panel. John Ward's team had been stung at the start of April by a first home defeat for seven months – inflicted by Nottingham Forest – but their afternoon in Yorkshire began well when Scott Dobie side-footed home a 17th-minute cross from Simon Hackney.

A measured first half was then followed by an absorbing second in which a bundled finish from Dougie Freedman, and a close-range strike from Jonathan Howson gave Leeds control of the match.

And though Casper Ankergren's fumble on the hour gifted Danny Graham an equaliser, Freedman's crashing volley in the 69th minute settled a high-quality match.

Freedman's brace was crucial, but he should not even have been on the pitch. Twenty-four hours earlier, the striker had been sent home from the United's hotel with sickness and diarrhoea.

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Leeds United 1 Carlisle United 2
Elland Road, May 12, 2008

The value of home advantage in the Football League's play-offs has long been the subject of scepticism, and an out-of-form Carlisle United side dismissed the significance of a crowd of 36,297 at Elland Road by claiming a deserved win in the first leg of their League One semi-final against Leeds.

Danny Graham claimed the opening goal on 32 minutes via a shot from Simon Hackney which struck his back and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, who had earlier hit the post with a neat volley, finished off a slick exchange of passes to leave Leeds 2-0 adrift early in the second half.


But Freedman came to United's rescue again by slipping unnoticed into the six-yard box and flicking the rebound from Paul Huntington's high, hopeful delivery beyond goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, inset.

More than five minutes of injury time had elapsed, and the relief around Elland Road was tangible. The true worth of Freedman's goal will be discovered in Cumbria tonight.