Evan Ferguson netted his first competitive goal for Roma as the Giallorossi eased to victory over Cremonese in Serie A.
The Irish forward, on loan from Brighton since July, made an instant impact after stepping off the bench.
Just four minutes into his cameo, he steered a precise low finish into the bottom corner from inside the box to double Roma’s lead.
Ferguson had previously hit the headlines with four goals on his unofficial debut in a 9-0 pre-season win over UniPomezia, but this marked his long-awaited first strike in a meaningful fixture under Gian Piero Gasperini.
Matias Soule opened the scoring earlier in the match, and Wesley Franca added a third as Roma took full control at the Stadio Giovanni Zini.
Cremonese grabbed a late consolation through Francesco Folino in stoppage time, but it did little to affect the outcome.
The win temporarily lifted Roma to the top of the Serie A table, though Inter Milan have the chance to reclaim first place when they face AC Milan later on Sunday.
The goal capped an encouraging return for Ferguson, who was sidelined with an ankle injury and missed Roma’s three fixtures before the international break.
After struggling for form and slipping down the ranks at Brighton, the 19-year-old is looking to reignite his career in Italy.
Before today, his only competitive goal in over a year dated back to a strike against Wolves last season.
So far this campaign, he has appeared in eight of Roma’s 12 league matches, as well as three Europa League outings.
Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy-who has scored twice for Cremonese this season-featured for the full 90 minutes but was unable to influence the result for the hosts.
