Northern Ireland’s Senior Powerchair Football squad secured a third-place finish at the FIPFA Home Nations Cup, held at the SportScotland Inverclyde National Sports Training Centre.
The team faced strong competition over the weekend from England, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland, showcasing determination and skill throughout the tournament.
The squad featured Sean McKinney, Ethan McCabe, Reuben Walls, Bartek Kuszkowski, Kyle Forster, Patrick Cumiskey, and captain Scott Hilland. It was a debut senior call-up for Walls and Forster, with Walls also making his first start.
Northern Ireland opened their campaign against a strong England side. Despite a spirited performance and a goal from Kuszkowski after good link-up play with McCabe and Walls, they were defeated 4-1.
They bounced back impressively in their second fixture, defeating hosts Scotland 3-0. Goals from Kuszkowski, Walls (his first Senior International goal), and another from Walls in the second half sealed a confident win.
On day two, Northern Ireland faced the Republic of Ireland. After conceding three goals in the first half, they fought back with a well-taken goal from Walls but were unable to close the gap, falling 3-1. The result meant a 3rd/4th place play-off rematch with Scotland.
In the playoff, Northern Ireland put in a dominant performance, running out 5-0 winners with goals from Walls (2), McCabe, Cumiskey, Forster, and Kuszkowski.
England went on to retain the title, defeating the Republic of Ireland 3-0 in the final.
Head coach Michael Hilland reflected positively on the tournament:
“Overall, this has been a positive weekend as we look towards the EPFA Nations Cup in September. There were some things that were really pleasing as well as some things that we need to look at and work on. Credit to all the players who played some good football at times and showed a real positive attitude throughout.”
A special mention goes to Reuben Walls, who was named Player of the Tournament by FIPFA officials — a fantastic recognition of his impact across the weekend.
