My goal masked a rusty performance, admits Leeds United’s returning star striker Patrick Bamford
and live on Freeview channel 276
The 28-year-old appeared for the first time in 11 weeks after suffering an ankle injury against Newcastle United back in September.
Replacing Junior Firpo in the 68th minute, Bamford stepped off the bench to score a 95th-minute leveller which rescued a crucial point in his side’s quest to pull away from the Premier League relegation zone.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAfter the absence of last season’s top-scorer contributed to a difficult start to the season for Marcelo Bielsa’s men, the Brentford fixture was targeted as an opportunity to pick up points before heading into a challenging Christmas schedule which features three visits to top-four teams.
While the Whites were boosted by the return of Bamford and Luke Ayling, Brentford were weakened by the absence of star striker Ivan Toney who missed out on the Elland Road visit with a Covid infection.
Leeds looked on track to capitalise when they headed into the break 1-0 up after Tyler Roberts put his side ahead in the 27th minute.
But Brentford hit twice in a six-minute period to take the lead and were heading toward victory when super substitute Bamford met Raphinha’s corner, flicked on by Ayling, to poke home from close range in injury time.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRegistering one effort on goal in 22 minutes on the pitch, Bamford’s contribution was enough to take the Whites six points clear of the drop zone.
Though his wild celebration spoke of a striker’s joy on returning to the scoresheet after months on the sidlines, Bamford gave a modest assessment of his afternoon at Elland Road after the final whistle.
“Let’s be honest, if I hadn’t scored the goal it wouldn’t have been a great performance,” Bamford said.
“I was rusty, because I’ve been out for a while, but I think the goal kind of masked that. For me, it was important to get back on the pitch. It’ll take me a few weeks to get up to speed, I’d imagine.
“I’m sure the manager knows that as well.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe road to recovery has been long for the England international, whose return date was pushed back several times as a supposedly simple issue picked up at St James’ Park turned out to be more complicated than first thought.
It’s been tough to be honest because, when it’s an ankle injury, there’s no specific time-scale,” Bamford told BBC Radio Leeds.
“It can sometimes just niggle on a little bit and take a little bit longer. Now that I’m on the other side of it I think ‘those twelve weeks have gone quickly’ but, when I was doing the rehab and the long days, it was quite slow.”
The striker was given a warm welcome by the Elland Road faithful on his return to action, but it was a tough afternoon for Bielsa’s side, who Bamford felt should have taken more from the game.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“Apart from 10 minutes in the second half, we pretty much had control of the game,” Bamford said.
“It’s only a draw, which is frustrating because we’d like to win a game like this.”
Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click HERE to subscribe.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.