The home side started brightly and as early as the first minute Whites goalkeeper Casper Ankergren had to make a good save with his legs from an Evan Horwood cross-shot. Carlisle having another scoring opportunity shortly afterwards when Danny Livesey headed an Ian Harte free-kick over the top. Leeds then getting back into things after nine minutes when Luciano Becchio, from a Robert Snodgrass lay-off, shot wide of the target when well placed.
Little then happened in the game for a long period in the first-half as both sides struggled to hold onto possession and the match, with Carlisle defending their one goal advantage from Elland Road, turned into a midfield stalemate. The Blues dragged the tie back to life just after the half-hour mark though when Clayton pounced onto a loose ball through the middle before calming sliding the ball past Ankergren when one-on-one with the Danish stopper.
Moments later, following a tactical switch upfront by Leeds boss Simon Grayson as he looked to pull back a two goal deficit in an effort to reach Wembley, Gary McSheffrey, who had been pushed into their forward line at the expense of Snodgrass, missed a good chance when he smacked a deflected pass straight into the arms of Carlisle goalkeeper Adam Collin.
Clayton then trying to respond for the home side but his long range chip was extremely ambitious and was easily caught by Ankergren, that coming moments after he had already smacked a drive from distance over the top. McSheffrey then crowded out in the Carlisle box by home defenders with the last half-chance of the opening period.
The first opportunity of the second-half brought a goal for the visitors after Collin had made a good stop from a Snodgrass shot. The ball then being lifted back into the box but it was Harte who was the provider with a terrible back header which allowed Snodgrass to nip in and nod over the top of a stranded Collin. Whites left-back Shane Lowry then making a good block from Hurst as the home side looked to break forward.
Clayton was looking to score again around the hour-mark but Ankergren made a smart save from his shot, the Leeds stopper called into action moments later when a low Harte free-kick came in at a nice height for him to dive and take. Michael Doyle then seeing his low drive go straight at Collin as the game became more open with the visitors chasing a goal.
Just past the midway point in the half and Leeds thought they had that equaliser but the offside flag went up when Crowe headed in from a Bradley Johnson nod-back on a Snodgrass cross in. That would cost the Whites too as Carlisle made it 2-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate when Hurst capitalised on some poor defending by Lubomir Michalik and Lowry to cut quickly inside and curl a left-footed effort across Ankergren and into the far corner of the net.
McSheffery then stuck a cross in to no avail before Leeds pulled a goal back again ten minutes from time when Johnson headed into the path of Crowe for a hammered finish into the roof of the Carlisle net at the back-stick. The visitors then remarkably making the tie 4-4 on aggregate when Harte allowed Grella to run across him at the near-post and head home from a Lowry cross.
With Leeds heavily on top in the closing stages they were looking for another goal to stop the tie going straight to penalties, with no extra-time in the competition this season. Grella first having a shot well parried away by Collin before the big stopper made a good punch on a Max-Alain Gradel free-kick in to ease the home pressure side. Collin then called into injury-time action to push away a Johnson effort that bounced nastily in front of him.
And so to penalties, Harte scoring and Johnson having his effort well saved before Hurst and Gary Madine for the home side and Snodgrass and McSheffrey traded spot-kicks. It was all square after six each though when Richard Keogh blazed miles over and Clayton and Horwood scored for Carlisle, while Grella, Gradel and Neil Kilkenny netted for Leeds.
Matty Robson then saw his spot-kick creep past Ankergren and into the corner before Lowry stepped up for Leeds. Collin making another excellent stop on his left-footed effort to prompt a mass pitch invasion from the Carlisle fans in the Warwick Road End, the spectators celebrating a fifth Football League Trophy final appearance for the club in the last sixteen seasons.