Carlisle 2 Leeds 3

4-4 on aggregate, Carlisle win 6-5 on penalties

There will be no Wembley trip for Leeds this year unless they are dragged into the dreaded end-of-season play-offs.

Just six days after losing to Spurs in an FA Cup fourth-round replay, Simon Grayson’s men were knocked out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in the Northern Area final in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against their jinx side Carlisle at Brunton Park.

Leeds, trailing 2-1 from the first leg, won 3-2 on the night to take the tie to penalties, but Bradley Johnson’s early attempt was saved by Adam Collin and Carlisle’s heroic keeper later saved from young left back Shane Lowry, on loan from Aston Villa, as his team won the shoot-out 6-5 to book a Wembley date on March 28 against Southampton – who beat MK Dons 3-1 tonight for a 4-1 aggregate win.

Leeds lacked leading scorer and penalty-taker Jermaine Beckford with a hamstring injury, so Robert Snodgrass started the game just behind striker Luciano Becchio, though the Scot later moved out wide, with Gary McSheffrey switching to the attack.

Then, early in the second half, Grayson shuffled his formation again by moving Max Gradel forward as McSheffrey returned to the wing.

Jason Crowe replaced Leigh Bromby at right back and midfielder Micky Doyle was handed his first JPT appearance of the season with orders to subdue the influential Graham Kavanagh.

Becchio, a scorer in the last two games, had a chance to put Leeds level on aggregate after only nine minutes but the Argentine dragged his shot wide from the edge of the penalty box and Carlisle drew first blood in the 33rd minute. A mistake by Lubo Michalik was seized upon by Adam Clayton, who found the gap between Casper Ankergren and a post to stretch Carlisle’s aggregate advantage to 3-1.

McSheffrey, on loan from Birmingham, shunned a good opportunity by shooting straight at keeper Adam Collin and half-time arrived with Leeds facing a huge task to turn the tie around.

Yet they gave themselves fresh hope within a minute of the restart, Snodgrass pouncing on Ian Harte’s poor headed back-pass to score his first goal since December 28 at Stockport.

Grayson replaced Doyle and Jonny Howson with Bradley Johnson and fit-again Neil Kilkenny with 24 minutes left and three minutes later Crowe had the ball in Carlisle’s net, only to be ruled offside.

However, Carlisle restored their two-goal advantage in the 72nd minute when Michalik was again at fault, failing to clear the ball, and Kevan Hurst found the net from inside the 18-yard box.

Grayson played his last card by sending on striker Mike Grella in place of defender and captain Richard Naylor on 79 minutes and a minute later Crowe powered home Leeds’ second goal of the night to make it 4-3 on aggregate to Carlisle.

Never-say-die Leeds needed one more goal to take the tie to penalties and it came with four minutes to spare, substitute Grella heading in McSheffrey’s cross, only for Carlisle to win the shoot-out.