Crystal Palace Reserves claimed their eighth win of the season with a 2-1 win against Brentford Reserves at the Beckenham Training Ground.
Goals from Jake Caprice and Jerry Nnamani in either half cancelled out Fraser Franks' equaliser in the first.
Reserve team manager Ronnie Jepson was forced to play a side full of Academy youngsters, with many of the older pros taken up with training this morning at the request of new first team manager Paul Hart.
Trialist goalkeeper Jamie Young was brought in between the sticks, while there was also a start for other trialist Joel Ledgister on the right wing.
The back four consisted of the four Under 18 regulars with Kieron Kenlock in at right back, Jack Holland partnered by Nnamani in the centre and Matthew Parsons on the left.
In the middle Caprice and Joe Goldsmith held central roles with Ledgister and Taurean McDonald-Roberts taking up position on the flanks. And up front was the familiar duo Ibra Sekajja and Wilfred Zaha.
Brentford lined up with a number of experienced pros, which included their entire back four being made up of players with regular first team experience, but the Palace youngsters refused to be intimidated and more than held their own in a close game.
The Bees' drew first blood when they tested Young's hands in the opening minute with a strike right down the middle of goal from 20 yards, while in response Sekajja couldn't quite direct a low free kick goalwards five minutes later.
Young then had to deal with a difficult effort from 25 yards as the strike from the Brentford midfielder dipped in front of him and he had to push it round the post on ten minutes.
Ledigster, who looked promising with some flashes of skill on the right wing, could have tested the keeper more had he manged to get more purchase on a left footed strike after skinning his man and cutting in to the edge of the box
The opener though arrived on 20 minutes when some patient and mature Palace build up play was rewarded with a precise finish from Caprice from the edge of the box.
Sekajja won the ball midway into Brentford's half and played it out wide to McDonald-Roberts on the left. The winger squared up his marker before playing a one-two with Parsons and then laid it off to Goldsmith.
The midfielder then played a good ball into the feet of Sekajja just inside the box, who turned and skipped along the edge of the box avoiding tackles as he looked for space to shoot, but Caprice was ready to take it off his feet with a cultured finish into the bottom corner.
Palace pushed on in search of a second and almost found it on 22 minutes when a good cross in from the right found Zaha unmarked in the box, but it was just too high for the striker. He managed to get some contact on it, but as he stretched for it he made contact with the underside of the ball and it looped up and over the cross bar.
The scores were level a minute later though when the away side capitalised on a lapse in concentration in the Palace back four. Noone picked up Fraser Franks in the box as he ghosted between Holland and Kenlock to nod a Lewis Ferrell cross over Young from 15 yards.
Minutes later Palace came within inches of regaining the lead when Zaha and Sekajja combined on the edge of the box. Sekajja took a decent touch to get away from his marker before firing just over with his left.
James Whyte then tried his luck for Brentford with a low left footed strike that fizzed past Young's post, but the Palace keeper looked to have it covered and watched it to safety, while Kenlock benefited from a clearance off his own free kick to smash a first time effort from fully 30 yards inches wide.
The Bees' should have taken the lead a minute into the start of the second half when their winger did well on the right to take the ball to by-line, cut inside the box and lay it back to the edge of the six yard box, but both supporting players couldn't get a touch and Palace cleared.
A long free kick from the halfway line into the Brentford penalty box almost brought about reward for Palace when the away side failed to clear it at the first attempt and Nnamani managed to get in round the back. But the bullish defender's first touch was a little too heavy and it allowed goalkeeper Simon Moore to race out and bravely claim it at his feet.
Brentford then came close to catching Palace out on the counter attack. Having committed men forward for a corner the ball broke and was played up to Franks halfway inside the Eagles half.
The winger squared up Nnamani, skipped round his challenge and then fired with a rasping right footed drive that had too much on it and it flew well wide of Young's far post.
They came even closer two minutes later with another counter attack and again it was Franks who spearheaded the attack, and again he failed to take the opportunity.
His movement was clever as he pulled away from Holland to receive the ball on the edge of the box, but he took too long in getting his shot away and Holland was able to claw back the yards and make the block.
Palace made them pay for their missed opportunities on 68 minutes when they regained the lead through the skipper Nnamani.
The home side won a corner on the right and Ledgister floated one to the back post when Nnamani had managed to steal a yard from his marker and poke the ball into the back of the net.
Young then showed that the freezing cold weather had done little to dampen his concentration when he acrobatically pushed a shot from 25 yards over the bar, and then was pleased to see the resulting corner end with a tame shot past his left hand post.
The away side began to enjoy more of the possession midway through the second period and continued to try their luck from distance - Jake Reeve next to hit a shot with the outside of his boot on 72 that curled well wide.
Palace almost benefited from a counter attack of their own on 74 minutes when Zaha broke quickly down the left flank and played in his strike partner who fired over from 18 yards.
The away side eventually found a way through the Palace defence five minutes from time only to see it ruled out for offside.
A free kick won five yards inside the Palace half was floated into the box, and as it flew over Holland's head defender Karleigh Osborne was there to head past Young. But as he turned away to celebrate he saw the linesman's flag and it was chalked off.
Palace held out in the dying minutes to continue their unbeaten run in the league, and after the game Ronnie Jepson was pleased with how his young players coped against a side boasting a string of experienced professionals:
"It was a difficult game. They had one or two more senior players than us, but as always the boys acquitted themselves well.
"It was not all about the result because it was difficult today and the boys had to tough it out. It wasn't easy but I think it is times like these that the bys will find more about themselves than maybe when it is four or five."
Teams
Crystal Palace: 1. Jamie Young, 2. Kieron Kenlock, 3. Matthew Parsons, 4. Jack Holland, 5. Jerry Nnamani, 6. Joe Goldsmith, 7. Joel Ledgister, 8. Jake Caprice, 9. Ibra Sekajja (16. Charlie Holness 85), 10. Wilfred Zaha, 11. Taurean McDonald-Roberts (15. Rhys Williamson-Murrell, 60)
Subs: 12. Charlie Mann, 14. Daniel Pringle,
Brentford: 1. Simon Moore, 2. Lewis Ferrell, 3. Ryan Blake, 4. Jake Reeves, 5. Karleigh Osborne, 6. Fraser Franks, 7. Kyle Vassell, 8. James Whyte, 9. Sean Lucien, 10. Geoff Banks-Smith, 11. David Pitt
Subs: 12. Biliaz Butt, 14. Ricky Valentine, 15. Loui Hazlewoof, 16. Jack Ward, 31. Dexter Burt
Ronnie's full post match interview will be available to Palace Players subscribers later this week along with highlight's from the game.
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