By Johnny McNabb

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The tournament, staged at the Bella Italia Efa Village and the Municipal Sports Hall, placed Northern Ireland in a daunting Group A alongside reigning world champions France, as well as Belgium, Spain and Germany. Coach Michael Hilland’s young squad blended experience with fresh talent. Veterans Scott Hilland, Patrick Cumiskey, Sean McKinney and Bartek Kuszkowski retained their places from last year’s World Cup campaign, while Ethan McCabe, Kyle Forster and Reuben Walls made their debuts at a major international competition. Their opening test came against the formidable French side, who went on to lift the trophy. Northern Ireland produced a stunning first-half display, keeping the champions at bay before capitalising on a rare lapse. Kuszkowski pounced to give his side a shock 1-0 lead at the interval – the only time France trailed in a group match and the only goal they conceded all tournament. Although the pressure eventually told and France struck back with five second-half goals, the 5-1 scoreline did little to dampen Northern Ireland’s determined showing. They carried that momentum into their second fixture, recording a resounding 6-0 win over Germany. Kuszkowski was again on target, while Walls struck twice before half-time. Forster, making his tournament debut from the bench, stole the show with a hat-trick. A narrow 2-1 defeat to Belgium followed. Despite falling behind either side of the break, Northern Ireland responded through Walls, who finished off a slick passing move at the near post. A late surge created chances, but the equaliser proved elusive. The group campaign concluded with a confident 2-0 victory over Spain. Forster opened the scoring early, finishing from a Cumiskey cross, before Cumiskey himself doubled the advantage in the second half with a composed finish from a Walls corner. That win set up a crucial clash with the Republic of Ireland in the play-offs, with the winner moving within reach of the all-important fifth place – and a ticket to Argentina. The all-Ireland contest proved tense and evenly balanced, with both sides threatening but unable to find the net across normal and extra time. Penalties followed, and Northern Ireland held their nerve. McCabe converted calmly, Hilland made a crucial save, and Forster and Walls fired home to seal a dramatic shootout victory. That left Denmark standing between Northern Ireland and qualification. Once again Kuszkowski gave his team an early lead, but two well-worked set pieces from the Danes swung the contest. Despite Northern Ireland’s efforts, Denmark held on to claim a 2-1 win and the final World Cup spot. The narrow defeat was a bitter pill for Hilland’s squad, but the coach was quick to highlight the progress made. “Of course, there’s disappointment in missing out on Argentina,” he said afterwards. “But I couldn’t be prouder of the players. We came up against some of the best teams in the world and matched them. At this level, it often comes down to fine margins, and unfortunately they went against us this time. “There are plenty of positives to take and plenty to learn from. This experience will make us stronger, and we’ll be ready to go again next time.”