Log In

Reset Password
BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

Concussed Onions striker to miss next match

Onions striker Rich Cumbers, seen here being placed in an ambulance, suffered a concussion in his team’s 3-1 loss to Devonshire Cougars at the weekend(Photo by Colin Thompson)

Flanagan’s Onions striker Rich Cumbers will miss at least one match through injury.Cumbers suffered a concussion in his team’s 3-1 loss to Devonshire Cougars at Goose Gosling Field last Saturday night.He was involved in a nasty head-on collision with Cougars goalkeeper Kioshi Trott in the 62nd minute.The incident occurred just two minutes after Cumbers had come as a sub for Steve Lister.The collision left Cumbers momentarily unconscious and after eventually regaining consciousness the player lay prone on the pitch for at least 25 minutes before he was taken by ambulance to hospital where he underwent tests and spent the night before being released the next morning.“He got the all clear and is out of hospital,” Onions assistant coach Dermont O’Sullivan confirmed. “He’s a bit groggy but just has to rest for a few days.“He took a heavy knock but all the tests came back okay. He was concussed on the pitch and that’s why the ambulance took him away. He just kept going in and out of consciousness and it was a very scary moment. It’s the longest he’s been on the pitch two minutes playing and 30 minutes waiting for the ambulance.”O’Sullivan believes Cumbers may have been unaware of the charging goalie who raced to the edge of the box to snuff out an Onions raid down the middle.“I don’t think Rich saw it coming because there was a defender in the way,” he said. “When the defender got out of the way it was just too late for Rich even though he would never back away from a tackle.”Referee Kuhn Evans added: “It was an unfortunate incident but something in the moment of play. They say when you play to give 110 percent and that’s basically what he was doing, trying to give 110 percent to get his team back into it.“He was probably hoping the ‘keeper would’ve missed the ball and he would’ve scored. Initially he was unconscious and then slowly came around and became somewhat alert. The team medic kept talking to him trying to reassure him where he was. I was told by the players and physio that he didn’t know where he was and what he had done for the day.“It was unfortunate but I’m glad that he is on the road to recovery.”Cumbers is expected to miss Onions’ league clash with Premier Division leaders Southampton Rangers at Southampton Oval on Sunday.“I would imagine he’s going to miss at least one match and hopefully no more than that,” O’Sullivan said. “It all depends on what the doctor says.“We haven’t heard what the doctors have told him. But knowing Rich he will be back as soon as he can.”