EFL fans declared “the game has gone” after Wycombe star Luke Leahy was booked for a bizarre reason.
The midfielder featured for the Chairboys in their 1-0 victory over League Two Bradford in the EFL Trophy semi-final.
Luke Leahy cheekily dried the ball on a steward’s coat prior to his throw-in
RexThe midfielder was booked as players are not allowed to dry balls[/caption]
Wycombe are now through to the Wembley final where they will meet Peterborough, thanks to Matt Butcher’s last-gasp winner which broke Bradford hearts.
But the game also caught the eye for another, unexpected reason.
With five minutes of the match remaining Wycombe won a corner deep in the Bradford half.
Leahy, 31, picked up the ball and decided to dry it off given the stormy conditions in West Yorkshire.
But the only method available to the former Shrewsbury player was to dry the ball on a steward’s coat.
The steward did not seem to mind but referee Tom Reeves did as he brandished Leahy with a yellow card.
Rules state players are not allowed to dry the ball so the ref was left with little choice, but that did not prevent uproar from fans.
One reacted saying: “Game has well and truly gone.”
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Another added: “I’m just glad he won’t miss the final for that because that’s a joke of a card.
And a third wrote: “Players are now genuinely being booked simply for drying a football
“Yeah, this sport is well and truly dead if you are being booked for that, pathetic!”