Ward's side were heading for a 2-0 win in the first leg at Elland Road last night until Dougie Freedman intervened with a goal for Leeds six minutes into stoppage-time, but Ward was content with the 2-1 win achieved by his players before a crowd of 36,297.

Danny Graham and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson scored in either half to provide Carlisle with a key lead ahead of Thursday's second leg at Brunton Park, but Ward conceded that Freedman's late strike had given Leeds a "big lift".

Ward said: "By no means do I think this is finished. There's a cracking game ahead.

"This is the third time we've been very close to each other over the season. That pleases me immensely.

"When you look at the size of the two clubs, for us to be running as close as we are to Leeds United is a real credit to my team.

"We're disappointed, of course, because we don't like to concede, but I've seen enough in that Leeds team to know they're a threat and I can't deny them their goal. It's just come a little bit late.

"I'm absolutely delighted with the way we've played and although you don't want to concede a goal, when you come to Elland Road it's always a possibility.

"If you'd said to me at six o'clock 'you can have a goal start when you go to Brunton Park on Thursday' I'd have thanked you very much and stayed on the bus."

Ward had promised to approach last night's game with a positive attitude and the five-man midfield named by him did not restrict Carlisle's fluency or ambition.

Freedman's goal was produced with virtually the last kick of the game, but Ward refused to criticise referee Tony Bates, who allowed the game to run into a sixth minute of injury-time – despite signalling only four.

Bates was forced to hold up the additional period while booking Andrew Hughes for a foul on Paul Thirlwell and Ward said: "It's fine. You won't find me grumbling about the referee because he's had a good game.

"At the moment we've still got a job to do and that final goal will give Gary and his team a big lift coming up to Carlisle. There's no doubt about that."