Report: Denmark 0-1 England Powerchair

England's Powerchair football team secured their semi-final spot at the EPFA Nations Cup on Sunday, after a 1-0 win over Denmark in Italy.

Following on from their wins over Scotland and the host nation on Saturday, Adam McEvoy's squad were back in action on Sunday afternoon when they faced a tight game against the Danes.

The Para Lions sealed victory though to make it three wins from three games when Dan McLellan's cross was converted by Marcus Harrison (above) with what proved to be the winning goal.

Dylan Kelsall thought he’d opened the scoring in the 14th minute, only to see his finish ruled out for a contact foul — a decision that summed up a frustrating first half.

Speaking before kick-off, Marcus Harrison stressed the need for composure after England’s nervy start against Italy the previous day: “Obviously we went 1-0 down early on and then we were chasing the game, I think we were rushing a few things so hopefully we can score an early goal and get on top early on.”.

Ed Common came closest in the first half, seeing a shot from a corner hacked off the line, before McEvoy turned to his bench at the break, bringing on Dan McLellan and Harrison. The changes made a difference, with Harrison soon rattling the post.

The breakthrough finally came just minutes after the second drinks break. From a Jon Bolding set piece, McLellan picked out Harrison in space, and the number nine drilled home the decisive goal.

Gordon praised the impact of the substitutes: “Ed [Common] and Dylan [Kelsall] had a great impact yesterday from the bench, Dan [McLallen] and Marcus [Harrison] had a good impact again today so the squad’s being used to its full depth.”

Despite the three points and a guaranteed World Cup place, players were quick to admit the team hadn’t hit their stride. McLellan added: “I think we know there’s stuff we need to correct. We’ll watch some footage this afternoon and hopefully use that performance to give us some momentum to take into the semi-finals.”

Gordon echoed the sentiment: “We’ve got enough points now to qualify for the World Cup which is always a bonus… now we just need to figure out what teams are doing against us to make it difficult and try to find the answers.”

England may not have played to their full potential, but the result ensures they are where they need to be — in the semi-finals, with their World Cup spot secure.

The Para Lions play their final group game against Republic of Ireland on Monday (1.45pm BST) afternoon.