England’s Partially Sighted team have returned home after a very successful World Championships in Argentina. Beating the hosts in the Third/Fourth place play-off, Graham Keeley's side claimed the bronze medal.
England qualified from the group stage in second place and faced the former World Champions Belarus - who have not been beaten in eleven years - in the semi-final.
Despite a very close game and the Belarusian goalkeeper pulling off a world class save with just 30 seconds remaining, England could not force the game to extra-time and were narrowly beaten 3-2, forcing them into the Third/Fourth place play-off against Argentina.
In front of a very vocal and enthusiastic home crowd it was England who took the lead through John McDougall after a very good passing move. Argentina soon found their feet and scored twice in succession to make it 2-1. The Three Lions, again playing some exceptional football, scored a second goal courtesy of Man-of-the-Match Hugo Costa to ensure the teams went in level at the break.
In the second half, the hosts twice regained the lead, only for England to peg them back on both occasions through Andy Lang and Kevin Price and the match was set up for a grandstand finish.
With just one minute left on the clock a fifth Argentina goal looked to have secured Third Place, but remarkably England still had time to equalise for the fourth time, again, through Hugo Costa. He cleverly evaded two players and then beat the 'keeper at his near post to take the match to penalties.
England Captain Steve Daley, Dionne Grant and John McDougall all scored their spot-kicks, with the hosts replying each time. Kevin Price scored England's fourth penalty to pile the pressure on Argentina, however their vice-captain's kick zipped wide of Brendan Dix's goal to spark jubilant scenes on the England bench; England had claimed the bronze medal and subsequently become the third best Partially Sighted team in the world.
After the game, Steve Daley spoke of his delight at the win: "This is an absolutely fantastic achievement by the players and the staff," he beamed. "We have worked so hard for this since the last World Championships in 2004 and to get a bronze medal and play as well as we did for the whole competition is unbelievable.
"The FA over the past seven years has provided us with the resources to compete at this level and it has now paid off. However this team will not stop here: we are now going to focus on winning the European Championship next year."
Head Coach Graham Keeley added:
"I am very proud of the players for what they have achieved. They never knew when they were beaten and kept on going till the end and they have now got their reward.
"Overall, I have been delighted with the way they have played throughout the whole competition and I know this team can go onto to achieve even more."