Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has blasted Patrick Bamford for his penalty in Leeds United’s 1-0 defeat at Stoke City on Wednesday night.
Hendrie was speaking live on Sky Sports Main Event (9.35pm) as Bamford blazed a spot-kick over the bar which in all likelihood, would’ve earned Leeds a fourth successive three points.
Bamford had only been on the field for around five minutes before going down under a challenge from Ben Pearson, which left referee Paul Tierney with no option but to point to the spot.
Despite Crysencio Summerville’s best efforts, the 30-year-old immediately signalled with confidence that he would step up and take the kick, but that confidence was not reflected in what was about to follow.
Bamford dreadfully blazed the ball high over the crossbar and into the travelling supporters, ultimately costing Leeds the game as Stoke went up the other end to go in front.
Hendrie blast Bamford for Leeds penalty miss
Hendrie, who was on co-commentary duty for the game, blasted Bamford for the lack of technique he showed with a ‘really poor’ penalty.
He said: “Well, I think this is his first touch. I’ll tell you something, it’s a really poor penalty, isn’t it? He sends the goalkeeper the wrong way but he leaned back on the shot and that is a golden opportunity for Leeds gone begging – and he knows it as well.
“He’s tried to be too clever by putting it in the top corner or the roof of the net. It’s a really poor penalty.”
Bamford has now missed three penalties in a row for Leeds and the last miss against Newcastle United in May should really have signalled the end of him taking them.
All three of those misses have lacked any sort of conviction, with the one against Stoke last night the second in which he has failed to hit the target.
At this level, that is inexcusable and it is baffling in 2023 that he is still putting himself in that situation with the amount of pressure he is under.
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