Leeds United secured just their third victory of 2022 with a last-gasp Joe Gelhardt winner clinching all three points against Norwich City on Sunday afternoon.
A stoppage time substitution, Gelhardt latched onto Raphinha's cutback inside the penalty area to stab home a crucial, match-winning goal after the Canaries had equalised minutes earlier.
Marsch's team selection raised eyebrows as Patrick Bamford made a first start at Elland Road for over six months.
Bamford was named on the substitutes' bench in each of Jesse Marsch's two previous Leeds United matches, making a long-awaited comeback for the final 30 minutes of the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek.
However, his first start since last September came in Leeds' crunch match against relegation rivals Norwich City.
Immediately after the Villa defeat, Marsch was non-committal on whether Bamford would start three days later, but buckled to the temptation of having an England centre-forward lead the line versus the team placed 20th in the Premier League table.
Following Leeds' victory over the Norfolk side, Marsch divulged his reasoning for substituting Bamford after 45 minutes, intimating that was not a pre-planned change.
"First of all, very happy with Patrick, [I] thought he had a very impactful 45 minutes, satisfied that that's all we needed to get out of him.
"Maybe 60 minutes might have been too much and it was pretty clear at half-time that was enough," the American coach said.
"I would guess that Patrick is fine," he added, addressing questions that Bamford's half-time withdrawal may have been enforced.
READ MORE: Everything Marsch had to say in his post-match press conference here.
"I think we just could see that physically, it [45 minutes] was enough."
Marsch's tone suggested Bamford had not been re-injured and the gamble to thrust him in from the beginning had paid off.
The striker's run which preceded Leeds' opening goal contributed to the game's opening goal, which Rodrigo dispatched of expertly.
With 75 minutes under his belt over the course of three days, Bamford will be subject to routine assessment by the club's medical staff in order to determine his availability for Friday night's fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Based on Marsch's prediction, the 28-year-old may well be in line for another appearance from the start, provided he comes through this week's training unscathed.
