Goals from Danny Graham and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson gave Carlisle a surprise 2-1 League One play-off first leg win over Leeds - their first at Elland Road.

Dougie Freedman scored a late goal to give Leeds hope when he poked past Kieren Westood long after the four minutes stoppage-time allocated by referee Tony Bates had expired.

Earlier, Graham inadvertently turned home a Simon Hackney volley on 38 minutes while Bridge-Wilkinson grabbed a second for the Cumbrians after a flowing move on 50 minutes.

The result put Carlisle firmly in the driving seat ahead of the second leg and signalled another blow to Leeds, who would have gone up automatically had they not been deducted 15 points before the season even began.

The first half was fantastic entertainment and it was out of character that a freak - and controversial - goal broke the deadlock.

Leeds failed to fully clear a corner and Hackney hammered in a first-time shot that fizzed off the backside of Graham to catch Casper Ankergren flat-footed at his nearpost.

The goal was dubious because the initial corner should have been a goal-kick as the ball clearly came off Graham.

Otherwise it was a free-flowing, end-to-end 45 minutes in which Gary McAllister's team were denied by three top-drawer saves from the inspired Westwood.

The former Manchester City trainee pulled off excellent stops from Freedman and twice from Jermaine Beckford.

Carlisle, meanwhile, lined five across the midfield, although the formation belied their attacking intent.

Scott Dobie, Bridge-Wilkinson and Hackney are all attacking players and at all times least one of the trio supported Graham, who forced a smart stop from Ankergren with a header, while Bridge-Wilkinson hit the post with a superb volley.

The half-time lead was deserved and John Ward's men doubled it soon after the restart when Leeds pressed the self-destruct button.

The hosts had just played themselves into trouble when Jonny Howson gave the ball to Bridge-Wilkinson but their blushes were spared by a brave block from Ankergren.

And seconds later they lost the ball in midfield to Grant Smith, who surged forward, played the ball wide to Hackney who cleverly found Evan Horwood on the overlap.

Horwood then slipped a superb low ball across the face of goal that Bridge-Wilkinson met with one of his trademark late runs to divert the ball into the bottom right.

The goal woke Leeds up, and they were helped by a vocal home support, who also expressed their dissatisfaction when Beckford was replaced by Tresor Kandol before the hour.

The Whites then dominated possession but, for all their pressure in the Carlisle half, Danny Livesey and Peter Murphy were immense at the back and restricted them to pot-shots.

Westwood was forced into another save when team-mate Paul Arnison diverted the ball towards goal, but Leeds were devoid of genuine inspiration and the groans were audible when Kandol dragged two successive shots well wide.

Simon Johnson was unlucky not to score with three minutes remaining when his perfect free-kick was diverted inches over by the head of the seemingly unaware Arnison.

Westwood made another good save from the resultant corner but - after four minutes of injury-time were dragged to almost seven after an innocuous tangle between Horwood and Andy Hughes - Leeds pulled one back when Carlisle failed to deal with a long ball and allowed on-loan Crystal Palace striker Freedman to poke home from close range.

The second leg will be played on May 15 at Brunton Park.

Reda Maher / Eurosport