Match report

JUST how precious Darryl Duffy's injury-time winner is won't be known until next week.

But does any team put their fans through the mincer quite like Swansea City?

The kings of the last-day thriller are heading for Groundhog Day as the League One play-off battle goes to the last afternoon after this Brunton Park classic.

With sixth-placed Oldham winning at Brighton, both sides knew that a draw would not be enough after punching each other out like a pair of old-time fairground fighters.

The two sides looked out for the count but Swansea somehow summoned up enough energy for a final attack in the third of the four minutes added on for stoppages.

Leon Britton and substitute Pawel Abbott had already been involved before Lee Trundle spread the ball wide for Izzy Iriekpen, having galloped up from his defensive post to fire a shot goalwards.

Iriekpen's effort was parried by goalkeeper Kieren Westwood but only to Duffy, who stabbed the ball home for his fifth goal in four starts.

Carlisle claimed the Scot had controlled the ball with his arm but referee Phil Joslin indicated that it had come off the striker's chest.

The Swansea players and 1,000 travelling fans who had made the 700-mile round trip celebrated as if promotion had been won itself.

But there were genuine moments of concern at the final whistle as home supporters invaded the pitch, with many of them acting in an aggressive fashion towards Trundle. Three police officers managed to escort Trundle off the pitch and lead him to the safety of the dressing room.

Perhaps it was fitting that Trundle was the central figure at the death as he had stunned the Carlisle faithful inside 40 seconds, rifling home his 19th goal of the season from just inside the area.

But Carlisle, one point behind Swansea at kick-off, rallied after the interval and American youngster Johann Smith struck his first goal in British football four minutes after the re-start.

Swans boss Roberto Martinez sprang a couple of surprises, with Kevin Austin preferred to Tom Williams in the absence of injured Marcos Painter. And there was also the warming sight of Garry Monk in the 16-man squad for the first time since damaging cruciate ligaments at Scunthorpe in August.

Monk and the rest of the Swansea substitutes had barely taken their places on the bench when the visitors were ahead.

Britton took advantage of a quickly taken free-kick and Trundle exploited some shoddy marking to turn and thunder a left-foot shot high into the net.

Willy Gueret was almost redundant, with Carlisle defender Danny Livesey failing to make the most of their best opening.

Carlisle's dithering almost cost them dear when Ian Craney's block challenge allowed Trundle to free Duffy. But Livesey's desperate challenge saved the day before another Carlisle mistake, this time from skipper Peter Murphy, gave Duffy another sight of goal but his shot was tame.

Carlisle boss Neil McDonald acted by ditching his 4-3-3 formation and going with Garner and the pace of Johann Smith up front.

Duffy curled wide a chance to put Swansea two ahead but switching Smith paid instant dividends as Chris Lumsdon threaded a pass through and Alan Tate hesitated.

Smith was on to the loose ball and showed great composure to round Gueret and beat the retreating Dennis Lawrence on the line.

Both sides went for broke and Smith could have ended Swansea's season on 68 minutes but Gueret denied him with a wonderful save.

At the other end Westwood tipped Robinson's snapshot round a post and saved brilliantly from Trundle. It all seemed in vain until Duffy's late intervention let the dream of Championship football live on.

Carlisle: Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Aranalde, Gall (Holmes 90), Lumsdon, Thirlwell, Jeff Smith, Garner (Hawley 66), Johann Smith.
Subs Not Used: Howarth, Joyce, Gray.

Booked: Raven, Aranalde.

Goals: Johann Smith 49.

Swansea: Gueret, Austin (Williams 71), Iriekpen, Lawrence, Tate (Amankwaah 56), Robinson (Abbott 86), O'Leary, Craney, Britton, Trundle, Darryl Duffy.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Monk.

Booked: O'Leary, Britton, Robinson.

Goals: Trundle 1, Darryl Duffy 90.

Att: 10,578

Ref: P Joslin (Nottinghamshire).