Reading 3 - 1 Palace
19th September 2009
Crystal Palace U18's travelled down to Reading last Saturday for their fifth academy game of the season.
In the first half Reading were restricted to half chances and were contained very well by the Eagles despite them having to contend against the Royals playing a diamond formation.
With 15 minutes remaining in the second half Eagles striker Nathaniel Pinney grabbed the game's opener when he broke free of the defence to slip the ball home and give his team a one nil lead going into the break.
Earlier in the season the Academy team had faced the same situation when they took in a one nil lead at Man City, but unlike that game they failed to hold out for a win and a precious three points.
As expected a riled Reading team came out for the second half with a point to prove and set about getting themselves back into this league encounter.
Reading's Jacob Walcott grabbed a brace in the opening 10 minutes of the second half with strikes on the 49th and 53rd minute.
The 53rd minute goal was incredibly lucky after Palace's Charlie Holness clearance somehow went back over his own head and straight to the feet of Walcott who, if the ball had been played by a Reading player would have been acres offside. Walcott did not hang around and duly slotted the ball past Mann.
As the game entered the final quarter Palace coach Gary Issott switched the formation to a 3-5-2 in order to get more men upfield and press for a equaliser. But on the 80th minute second half sub Jake Taylor put the game to bed and ended any chance of a Palace comeback.
Goalscorers: Pinney 30, Walcott 49,53, Taylor 80.
Reading: Locke, Goddard, McHugh, Raymond, Mills, Macdonald (c), Kelly (Rowe), Bell-Baggie (Taylor), White, Walcott, Harding (Tyler). Subs: not used: D'ath, Losasso
Palace: Mann, Parsons, Nnamani (c), Holness, Kenlock, Abnett, Comley (Caprice), Randall, Sekaja, Pinney, Goldsmith. Subs: Saha, Williams, Pringle
