The Western Sydney Wanderers A-League season may be over, but the action has only just begun for the Wanderers Powerchair team.
It was Sydney derby day at Kevin Betts Stadium in Mount Druitt on Saturday as the Wanderers took on Sydney FC.
The Red and Black Bloc were on hand to cheer their team as the Wanderers fought back from 2-0 down, to claim a 3-3 draw when Ben Keyte scored a last-minute equaliser.
Powerchair football is played using modified electric wheelchairs and a special larger ball.
It is played on a basketball-sized court.
There are four players on a team — including a goalkeeper and three outfield players — and games consist of two 20-minute halves.
Wanderers captain Jacob Cross has been playing powerchair football since its inception in Australia in 2010 and has travelled the world as a member of the national team.
Cross has followed the Wanderers since day one and decided to approach the club to create a powerchair team.
The Wanderers were the first Australian team to be affiliated with an A-League club, and Sydney FC, Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets followed suit.
Cross said being part of the Wanderers has been a huge boost for the team.
"It's been absolutely amazing to see this come to fruition," he said.
"To see the support we get and to have the Red and Black Bloc cheering for us and celebrating when we score goals is just unbelievable."
Cross said the rivalry between the Wanderers and Sydney FC was just as strong in powerchair football as the A-League.
Cross was part of the Australian world cup team in Paris in 2011, where they finished seventh, with former Socceroos mentor Rale Rasic as coach.
Cross said the sport was growing in Australia and around the world and he hoped it would one day be included in the Paralympics.
