Bulmer the Wexford hero
‘THERE’S ONLY one Rob Bulmer’ echoed out of the away dressing-room at the R.S.C. moments after full-time in this Under-17 derby.
Wexford F.C. had just pulled off the most jaw-dropping comeback. From 2-0 down going into the final five minutes of normal time, they somehow stunned their nearest neighbours in their own back garden with goals in the 83rd, 95th and 98th minutes.
The hero, as his team-mates’ chants suggested, was Robert Bulmer.
After being introduced from the bench with just four minutes of normal time left, the ex-Waterford man curled in the winner off the underside of the crossbar, with quiet literally the last kick of the game.
But, to say Bulmer was the only hero is far from reality.
In football the eleven players who finish the game are often more important than those who start it, and this couldn’t be more appropriate than for this SSE Airtricity League Southern Elite Division game.
Two of the Ferrycarrig side’s substitutes scored and another came on to make a significant impact.
In fairness to Waterford, they shaded the majority of the game as their long balls put Wexford under pressure.
Alex Phelan headed over after 20 minutes but it was almost a Wexford own goal which gave the hosts the early lead, as Kyle Scallan’s wayward back pass was recovered in the nick of time by goalkeeper Seán Maher.
Seán Smithers recorded Wexford’s most meaningful first-half shot, pulling a good save from Noel Heffernan on his right side before Waterford made the breakthrough.
A poorly defended free-kick fell fortunately to Phelan and his miskick skidded into the bottom corner of the net.
Not much changed in early stages of the second-half. Mike Nzongong became Waterford’s most dangerous attacking player, forcing Maher into further saves and clipping the post with the goal beckoning.
Sam Dwyer eventually did double the Déise side’s lead, firing into the top corner with his left foot as the game appeared to be getting away from Wexford.
A third defeat in four games looked like a certainty for the Ferrycarrig boys, but a revival, one of the most dramatic in Wexford F.C’s short history, was minutes away from unfolding.
It started with the introduction of Luke Greene in the 65th minute. Greene, a player known for his workrate and ability to dispossess the opponent, was introduced at 1-0 to give that extra bite which could motivate his team-mates.
Instead, he became the catalyst of change in a very different way, halving the deficit from the edge of the box with a superb finish.
As the game moved into additional time, onlookers could have expected a fair amount of it. With ten substitutions and two match-halting injuries, they got exactly that. Wexford would have eight minutes to snatch a point.
Brody Murphy’s positive run into the Waterford box had created the first goal and another won a corner kick.
Caellum Devlin-Travers floated a cross to the back post as cap- tain Kyle Scallan nodded in to draw level.
Then, it was pandemonium. Tactics appeared to go out the window as Waterford rushed forward, looking to reclaim the win they seemed certain to be coming away with for the majority of the match.
Maher palmed a dipping shot onto the bar before Wexford countered. Greene laid off to Bulmer and the ex-Waterford man broke his former team-mates’ blue hearts with a 98th-minute hammer blow that glanced in off the underside of the crossbar.
Wexford F.C.: Seán Maher; Shane Gibson, Kevin Murphy, Kyle Scallan (capt.), Seán O’Brien-Murphy; Caellum Devlin-Travers, Graham O’Reilly, Ethan O’Neill, Darragh Levingston, Seán Smithers; Brian Byrne. Subs. - Cillian McDonald for Murphy (49), Brody Murphy for Byrne (53), Luke Greene for O’Reilly (65), Robert Bulmer for Levingston (86), Killian Griffin for O’Brien-Murphy (87), also Dylan Whelan, Aaron Hall.
Waterford F.C.: Noel Heffernan; Donal Porter, Samuel Dwyer, Reece Murphy, Ethan Flynn; Niall O’Keeffe, Cian Foley, Mike Nzongong, Seán Tracey; Kyle Cuddy, Alex Phelan. Subs. - Kacper Zajac for O’Keeffe (46), Torik Adegoke for Phelan (63), Cian Browne for Foley (72), Tega Agberhiere for Dwyer (77), Leven Sarafin for Flynn (77), also Brendan Kirwan.
Referee: Tristan Eardley (Waterford).