Rumilly Stuns Nîmes with Late Comeback in National 2 Clash
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Nîmes Olympique suffered their first home defeat of the season in dramatic fashion on Sunday, collapsing in the final minutes to lose 2-1 to Rumilly. The loss drops Nîmes to 5th in the National 2 standings, seven points behind league leaders Saint-Maur.
The match, played at the Antonins Stadium in rainy conditions, saw a superb playing surface despite the weather. A crowd of 5,277 witnessed a game of two halves, with Nîmes dominating initially before a late surge from Rumilly sealed the victory.
First-Half Control for Nîmes
Nîmes took the lead in the 29th minute through a penalty converted by captain Orinel, awarded after a handball by Rumilly’s Garby. The home side appeared comfortable, virtually holding 2nd place in the league, level on points with Rumilly and just two points behind Saint-Maur, who were held to a draw by Andrézieux.
However, the landscape shifted dramatically after the interval. “There is a lot of disappointment because we expected a lot from this match,” stated Nîmes coach Mickaël Gas. “We gave up in the second half, we dived against the best team in the championship.”
Rumilly’s Decisive Substitutes Turn the Tide
Rumilly’s substitutes proved to be the difference-makers, scoring both goals in a whirlwind two-minute spell. Fortier leveled the score in the 83rd minute, capitalizing on a series of errors from the Nîmes defense – Coulibaly, Célestin, Kubota, and Salamone all contributing to the breakdown leading to the goal. Just 67 seconds later, Renaudin completed the comeback with a powerful run that breached the Nîmes central defense.
The Nîmes substitutes failed to replicate Rumilly’s impact. Despite opportunities created by Sarr and Touré, Khasa was unable to convert a clear chance in the 90th minute.
A Frustrating Finish for the Crocodiles
The defeat was compounded by a late red card for Nîmes’ Diallo in the 95th minute, following a “bad gesture” towards a Rumilly player. The incident capped off a frustrating end to the match for the home side, who had previously been unbeaten at the Antonins Stadium.
“It’s not a hold-up because Rumilly, the team that has made the biggest impression on us since the start of the season, still had two big chances,” one analyst noted. Early opportunities for Rumilly included a save from Salamone in the 20th second and a shot from Fouley that hit the post in the 25th minute. Nîmes also had their own appeals for a penalty in the 6th minute, claiming a handball by Viard.
Gas Acknowledges Second-Half Collapse
Coach Gas attributed the defeat to a tactical shift and a loss of composure. “It was not a tactic to defend so low. We took a blow to the head. We’re going to have to get up.” The coach’s 3-4-2-1 formation, while initially promising, ultimately failed to contain Rumilly’s late pressure.
Rullier Praises Rumilly’s Resilience
Rumilly coach Cédric Rullier acknowledged a slow start but praised his team’s second-half performance. “It could have gone either way. The first half was not up to our standards. Congratulations to Nîmes who played high and prevented us from playing,” he said. “At the break, I told the players that if they wanted more, they had to do more. And in the second half, we did GFA, we played high and well, we won duels, we made them back, and we came back.” Rullier added that his team would have accepted a draw before the match, making the victory all the sweeter.
The sky fell on the heads of the Crocodiles at the end of the game, and they now face the challenge of regrouping and climbing back up the National 2 table.
