SOCCER LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF, FIRST LEG Leeds Utd 1 Carlisle Utd 2MOST LEEDS UNITED fans would have struggled to remember Danny Graham from his loan spell at the club in 2006, but not any more. His impact might have been minimal back then, but it was significant last night when he deflected Simon Hackney's first-half shot past Casper Ankergren off his backside to help inspire Carlisle to a fine first-leg victory.
Not for the first time Leeds will claim to have had a bum deal, yet the truth is they got what they deserved. Gary McAllister, their manager, had been boosted by the return to fitness of his leading goalscorer, Jermaine Beckford, following an ankle injury, while a 36,000-plus crowd generated a crackling atmosphere certainly unfamiliar to Carlisle's players.
So it was Carlisle's challenge to draw the sting from their hosts and they as good as succeeded within 10 minutes, when Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's cushioned shot came back off a post. In truth, he should have scored and John Ward's team were almost punished when Dougie Freedman's curling shot had to be palmed wide by Keiran Westwood, who also denied Beckford twice more with equally excellent saves.
Ward's side looked more composed and dangerous, however, and they took a deserved lead in the 32nd minute when Hackney let rip with that left-foot volley which deflected past Ankergren off the former Leeds loanee.
The industrious Bridge-Wilkinson doubled Carlisle's advantage in the 50th minute, sweeping home Evan Horwood's cross to leave Leeds looking a spent force. It was their turn to show their worth yet McAllister surprisingly withdrew Beckford with more than half an hour remaining, much to the puzzlement of the increasingly impatient home fans.
All seemed lost for Thursday's second leg until Freedman pulled a goal back after a scramble deep into injury-time.
Guardian Service
LEEDS UTD:Ankergren, Richardson, Huntington, Michalik, Johnson, Prutton (Carole 78), Douglas, Howson (Hughes 90), Kilkenny, Beckford (Kandol 58), Freedman. Subs not used: Lucas, Marques. Booked: Hughes. Goal: Freedman 90.
CARLISLE UTD:Westwood, Arnison, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Dobie, Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, Grant Smith (Thirlwell 79), Hackney (Taylor 69), Graham (Madine 90). Subs not used: Howarth, Campion. Booked: Dobie, Arnison. Goals: Graham 32, Bridge-Wilkinson 50.
Referee:Tony Bates (Staffordshire).
• Tottenham are on the verge of signing the highly rated Crystal Palace midfielder, John Bostock, acknowledged as one of the brightest emerging talents in English football.
Bostock became Palace's youngest player when he featured at 15 years and 287 days in the home defeat to Watford last October. Chelsea and Arsenal had hoped to secure the now 16-year-old's services.
