Sutton United 1-1 Carlisle United: Blues limp into play-offs after final day draw at Sutton
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Carlisle boss Paul Simpson has seen his side win just two of their last 11 matches.
Carlisle limped into the League Two play-offs with just two wins from 11 games after a final day draw at Sutton.
The U's had lost six straight matches and not won in over two months but led through Kylian Kouassi's first-half strike, only for a late Joe Kizzi own-goal to give the visitors a point
The Blues finished fifth and will now visit Bradford, who finished sixth, in the first leg of their play-off semi-final on Sunday, 14 May (19:00 BST).
The second leg at Brunton Park will be on 20 May (15:00 BST).
The deadlock was broken on 17 minutes when Kouassi collected a pass from David Ajiboye in the area, switched the ball to his left foot and stroked the ball into the bottom corner past the statuesque Tomas Holy.
Kristian Dennis rattled the Sutton bar with a well-worked free-kick from the edge of the box six minutes later, with Alfie McCalmont's volleyed follow-up flying past the upright.
Just before the break Ajiboye lofted over the bar from an Angol pull-back after a mix-up between Holy and defender Paul Huntington led to them colliding.
Amari Patrick flashed a low ball across the face of goal just after the hour only for a deflection to take it away from Ben Barclay lurking at the far post.
Kouassi headed a good chance for his second over six minutes from time but moments later the Blues snatched an equaliser at the other end when a flick-on from a long throw from Barclay was nodded inside his own post by defender Kizzi.
Carlisle's winless streak against Sutton has extended to four games while they have only scored two goals in their last six away games, claiming six points.
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson told BBC Radio Cumbria:
"I know Sutton have had a dodgy run but they made it a proper game of football.
"I'm not going to say we were good but we were certainly better in the second half.
"Thankfully we got the point that sealed it. I'm absolutely delighted. It's kept us in fifth and wow, what an incredible two games to look forward to.
"We know we need to be better but it's an incredible achievement from this group to be in the play-offs after where we started (when Simpson took over last season). It's a brilliant achievement but we have to make sure we finish it properly.
"I'm delighted we're at home for the second leg but I'm not really sure it makes a massive difference, we have just got to make sure it counts - make sure we are still in the tie after the first game at Valley Parade and then you have to able to go and finish…though I expect Mark Hughes and Bradford are saying the exact same thing."
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