Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has been handed a two match ban by FA after being found guilty of "successful deception of a match official" during the recent 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
Bamford is now set to miss Leeds' final Championship match against Ipswich Town, as well as the opening leg of the play-off semi finals.
Patrick Bamford gets a two game ban from the FA. Misses Ipswich away and the first leg of the play-off semi finals. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) May 2, 2019
The former Chelsea man was at the centre of one of the strangest passages of play we have seen, when Leeds intentionally allowed Villa to level the scores in their game last weekend. Leeds had taken the lead when Mateusz Klich scored after Tyler Roberts continued to play on despite Aston Villa's Jonathan Kodjia being down injured.
Roberts had slowed down to indicate he was going to put the ball out, only to play on once the Aston Villa defence had halted. What followed was a major fracas between the two sides. Anwar El-Ghazi would go on to receive a straight red card after appearing to striker Bamford, but replays soon showed that the striker had simulated any contact.
MINUTES OF MAYHEM
⚽️ Klich
🥊 Fight
🔴 El Ghazi
⚽️ Adomah (but not if Jansson can help it 🤚)
😳 Terry vs Bielsa?
It was absolute chaos at Elland Road! Have you ever seen anything like that before?
More: https://t.co/KqbZ3gZyO9 pic.twitter.com/9Y257vWT0l— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 28, 2019
El Ghazi's red card would ultimately be rescinded, while Bamford was charged by the FA. His punishment has now been confirmed, and it is not the news Leeds would have been hoping for.
The club have released a statement on the matter:
Whilst Patrick Bamford did not deny the charge of successful deception of a match official following our Sky Bet Championship game against Aston Villa on Sunday, the club did request a hearing to contest the penalty imposed on the player.
The club felt that given the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the extraordinary act of sportsmanship which saw our head coach Marcelo Bielsa demand our team to allow Aston Villa to score an uncontested equaliser, we could have a sensible discussion around the sanction.
We acknowledge that the FA panel did not feel that to be reasonable and the club therefore joins Patrick in accepting the two-match ban.
Bamford will miss our final game of the 2018/19 campaign away to Ipswich Town as well as the first leg of our Play-Off semi-final.
A point in their final game against already relegated Ipswich Town will make sure third place for Leeds. Their opponents in the play-offs have yet to be confirmed, although Derby County are in the driving seat for sixth at the moment.
Regardless of who they come up against, they will be without Patrick Bamford for the first leg.
