Leeds United star Patrick Bamford has been banned for two matches after he was found guilty of 'successful deception of a match official' in the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
The encounter gained headlines after Leeds scored the opener despite a Villa player going down injured. Leeds did eventually allow Villa to equalise but the biggest headlines came after a fracas following the first goal.
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Bamford was heavily criticised for falling to the floor despite a lack of contact during an incident with Aston Villa's Anwar El Ghazi and now he has been suspended for two games. El Ghazi was red carded at the time but has now had that rescinded.
The striker will miss Leeds' final match of the Championship season but also one play-off clash.
Leeds are third at the moment and would host whoever ends sixth in the play-offs. That would mean him sitting out the away trip in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs, which would either be at Derby, Middlesbrough or Bristol City.
The Whites have subsequently released the statement below on Bamford's ban.
"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," Leeds United explained in their statement.
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"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."
