FA Cup roundup: Bamford wondergoal helps send Leeds past Peterborough
Patrick Bamford’s moment of brilliance lit up Leeds’s smooth FA Cup passage as they eased to a 3-0 win at League One Peterborough.
The forward was given only his second start of the campaign as the manager, Daniel Farke, rang the changes, and Bamford responded by delivering a stunning strike shortly after half-time to double an advantage provided by Ethan Ampadu’s first goal for Leeds.
Ampadu, the captain, then sealed the win late on as his sudden taste for scoring continued.
“The whole world will praise this goal as being world-class. There are no other words for it,” said Farke, whose side sit fourth in the Championship. “I’m delighted for him and he deserves it, but for me it is more important that he is back to his fitness level, in a good rhythm to work for the team.
“Goals are always priceless for the confidence of offensive players and I’m sure he would take a rebound from two yards but, of course, to score in this fantastic manner is even better and he is on the right path.”
The goalscorers were two of only five survivors from the Championship success against Birmingham on New Year’s Day as Farke shuffled his pack, but it did not hamper Leeds as they had three clear chances in the opening seven minutes. Two Bamford headers – one wide from a corner and one clawed away by the Posh goalkeeper Fynn Talley – sandwiched the best opportunity of all as Talley recovered to save from Archie Gray after picking out the Leeds man with an attempted pass.
It was no surprise when the deadlock was broken in the 34th minute, although few could have predicted Ampadu would be the scorer as he opened his Leeds account by firing past Talley after a Jaidon Anthony free-kick was chested down by Bamford. The breakthrough was not without controversy as Peterborough players complained the set piece was taken before the referee, Sam Allison, had blown his whistle, but the goal stood and Josh Knight was booked for his protests.
Hector Kyprianouthen scuffed an effort wide in a goalmouth scramble as Peterborough looked to rapidly respond before Allison was again the centre of attention four minutes before the break – taking no action when Wilfried Gnonto tumbled under a Knight challenge in the box. The Italian winger was staggered not to see a spot-kick awarded, which would have led to a dismissal for Knight, while Posh felt Allison should have issued a second yellow card to Gnonto, who had been booked moments earlier for kicking the ball away.
The player count and scoreline remained unchanged going into the second half, but it did not remain that way for long thanks to the brilliance of Bamford as he brought down a long
Ampadu pass on his chest before turning and unleashing a stunning volley into the top corner from 25 yards. It was undoubtedly one of the finest goals in his 115-strong collection and ensured Leeds’s stranglehold on the clash was strengthened.
The hosts’ fate was sealed when Ampadu rose to head in the substitute Dan James’s corner in the 90th minute.
Luton were frustrated by the League One high-flyers Bolton as the teams played out a drab goalless draw at Kenilworth Road.
Rob Edwards fielded a near-full strength side in spite of the hosts’ ongoing fight to survive in their debut Premier League campaign, but they were unable to break down the side sitting second in the third tier.
The wing-back Alfie Doughty struck a post in the final moments, the nearest Luton came to finally picking off Bolton, and seconds later went down under a challenge from the defender Will Forrester, an incident that Edwards believes should have resulted in a penalty. “I never moan about decisions going against us, but I’m not sure what VAR was thinking there with that one,” said Edwards. “I think Andrew Madley should have been told to go to the screen. I think that was a big mistake.”
In the day’s other game Thomas O’Connor scored the only goal of the game as League Two Wrexham defeated Shrewsbury of League One 1-0 at the Croud Meadow to reach the fourth round for the second successive year.