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No Matter how many goals Evan Ferguson goes on to score, he will never forget what should have been his first at senior level.
The goal that ultimately never was came in a Dublin derby appearance for Bohemians at St Patrick’s Athletic in 2020.
With the match taking place in lockdown, the stadium was virtually empty when Ferguson — Brighton’s 18-year-old breakout star who scored twice against Grimsby in the FA Cup at the weekend — hit the back of the net.
‘It was a brilliant striker’s finish, a side-foot volley,’ recalls his then manager, Keith Long.
Ferguson peeled away in celebration thinking he had just made history only to be stopped in his tracks when his effort was ruled out.
Brighton striker Evan Ferguson has scored seven goals in just 16 games so far this season
‘The referee probably won’t live it down because it’s being spoken about a bit over here now,’ Long adds. ‘Evan would have been the youngest scorer in the history of Bohemians and the League of Ireland Premier Division.’
So why wasn’t he? ‘The noise when it hit Evan’s instep was like the slap of a ball,’ Long says. ‘It was so loud that the referee thought he put it in with his hand and disallowed it, when he actually stretched with one of his telescopic legs to score a great goal.
‘After the game I could see the disappointment in Evan’s eyes. He was angry, so disappointed that he wasn’t going to break that record. You could see that winning mentality, and feel this was only the start for him.’
By that point, word of Ferguson’s talents had already got around Ireland and interest from beyond was also beginning to grow.
Physically advanced and mature beyond his years, Ferguson joined Bohemians at 14 from the renowned St Kevin’s Boys club. After holding his own in first-team training, he was handed a senior debut aged just 14 in a friendly against Chelsea — Frank Lampard’s first game in charge. Ferguson was involved in Bohemians’ goal in the 1-1 draw during his cameo off the bench.
‘He did well against experienced Premier League players,’ Long remembers. ‘We knew Evan would have the right mentality, nothing would faze him. In fact, he would have relished the challenge and was
