Palace make a bright start in south Wales, with Amaari Sealey and Zavier Gozo combining early on before the latter narrowly misses connecting with a dangerous pull-back!
Story in pictures: Young Eagles make Academy history in Newport
Crystal Palace Under-21s made Academy history on Tuesday night, beating Newport County 2-1 at Rodney Parade to reach the EFL Trophy knockout stages for the first time – relive a landmark evening for the Young Eagles through our best images…
The breakthrough arrives on 10 minutes!
Sealey’s inswinging corner causes chaos in the Newport box, and Jasper Judd reacts quickest to turn home and give Palace the lead!
Gozo almost doubles the advantage with a wickedly whipped free-kick, but Jake Turner gets across to tip it around the far post...
George King then produces an outrageous piece of defending, somehow hooking Dan Sassi’s goalbound header onto the crossbar with an acrobatic clearance – what a moment!
Palace continue to threaten, with David Angibeaud, Chuks Okoli, and Sealey testing Turner before Judd sees a powerful effort brilliantly kept out by the Newport 'keeper!
The hosts have their moments, too, as Garner flashes narrowly wide before Callum Evans somehow misses an open goal after Lee’s miscued clearance falls kindly into his path...
Newport come out with renewed purpose after the break and draw level three minutes into the second half, James Crole turning home Shaquille Gwengwe’s cut-back despite failing to make clean contact.
Harry Lee keeps Palace in the contest with a superb double-save as the hosts threaten to take the lead, before Charlie Walker-Smith goes close to restoring the visitors' advantage at the other end.
With the game finely poised, Palace find their decisive moment on 78 minutes!
Joe Gibbard slides a superb pass into Angibeaud’s path, and the forward takes a brilliant touch before calmly rolling beyond the onrushing Turner to make it 2-1!
The closing stages become a test of Palace’s resolve, with Newport throwing everything forward in search of another equaliser...
Deep into stoppage time, Lee produces a vital save to preserve the advantage, before the Young Eagles see out seven minutes of added time to secure a famous victory!
Palace have done it!
A 2-1 win sends the Under-21s into the EFL Trophy knockout stages for the first time in Academy history, sparking jubilant celebrations with the travelling supporters at Rodney Parade!
