Patrick Bamford sends message to departing Leeds United fans and declares own end of season aim

Not that it seemed that way midway through the first half of Sunday's Elland Road showdown against Crystal Palace. With 21 minutes on the clock, the striker darted across the Eagles box to brilliantly flick home a header from a Brenden Aaronson corner to bag his 50th goal for the Whites.

Bamford was on a half century and Leeds were on their way to 12th place in the Premier League table and being five points clear of the drop zone on 32 points. With Premier League survival in sight, Elland Road rejoiced. Yet just over one hour later, with ten minutes still left, the ground had already started to empty.

A rapid Palace blitz had suddenly put Roy Hodgson's visitors 5-1 up and as the fifth, fourth and even third goal went in, plenty of Whites fans had seen enough as they headed for the Elland Road exits.

Bamford, though, even in the face of Sunday's obvious disappointment, is quickly looking to the right Whites' reaction when those fans return as he eyes a personal late season push ahead of Monday night's visit of Liverpool.

"Fans are entitled to their opinion and to leave early if they want," said the Whites no 9 post match, asked if he had a message to fans leaving before the full time whistle against Palace.

"The majority of Leeds fans are always behind us and we appreciate that, even when they have to sit and watch the second half unfold like that. But we know there'll be there next week and we always appreciate them and we need them."

In an ultra competitive Premier League, Bamford's first half strike against Palace actually had Leeds on course to move just four places behind eighth-placed Liverpool in the Premier League table. Instead, the Whites sit fifth-bottom and only two points above the drop zone with just eight games left in another scrap for Premier League survival.

At the time, 29-year-old Bamford's 50th goal for Leeds looked set to lay the platform for a hugely important victory which wasn't to be but the Whites no 9 is now hoping he can push on with a few more before the season's conclusion.

"I guess it's nice and it's nice to score goals," said Bamford, asked about reaching the 50-goal milestone for Leeds. "Hopefully I can put a little run together which will help us towards the end of the season."

Quizzed on the Whites celebration - which saw practically the whole team race over to the bench to celebrate with the coaching staff - Bamford explained: "The celebration was actually because it was a set piece that we had worked on that the coaches had come up with during the week so it was kind of thanks to them I guess. It shows that some things we work on come off. It was nice.

Bamford added: "I just think that there was a big difference between the first half and the second half. We stuck to our game plan in the first half and in the second half we kind of veered away from it and you saw that both defensively and attackingly where we were losing the ball but not creating things as well.

"It was just one of them where we have got to try and forget about it and look at the positives from the first half and then see what we can do against Liverpool on Monday."