Jasper Judd and David Angibeaud were on target in south Wales, with the Young Eagles showing tremendous character to see out a landmark result – here are the numbers behind the night.
The numbers: Palace U21s make Academy history at Newport
Crystal Palace Under-21s secured a place in the EFL Trophy knockout stages for the first time in Academy history with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Newport County at Rodney Parade on Tuesday evening.
First
Time in Academy history that Palace's U21s have progressed to the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy. Having first entered the competition in 2021/22, Darren Powell's side have finally secured a place in the last 32.
Two
Wins in a single EFL Trophy campaign for the first time. Palace previously recorded victories over AFC Wimbledon and Swindon Town during their first two seasons in the competition, but had not managed more than one win in a campaign until now.
This season, the Young Eagles have beaten Swindon 2-1 and followed it up with Tuesday night's historic victory over Newport!
Two
Goals in two consecutive appearances for David Angibeaud, who has made an excellent return from a lengthy injury. His latest came in spectacularly composed fashion, taking a superb first touch from Joe Gibbard's fizzed pass before rolling the ball into the bottom-left corner past the onrushing 'keeper.
Fourth
Victory for Palace in the EFL Trophy since making their debut in 2021/22. Previous successes came against Wimbledon and Swindon in the competition's opening two campaigns, before the Young Eagles added another win over Swindon earlier this season.
Four
Tackles won by Dean Benamar – the most of any player on the pitch. The defender was particularly influential down the left, combining his defensive work with a succession of dangerous deliveries as Palace looked to regain the lead.
Five
Saves made by Harry Lee in a phenomenal performance between the posts. The goalkeeper produced a sensational double-save in the second half to deny Brennan and Gwengwe in quick succession, before making another crucial intervention deep into stoppage time to preserve Palace's advantage.
Six
Points collected by Palace in Southern Group E – a new club record in the competition. The previous best points tally across the Young Eagles' six seasons in the EFL Trophy was three!
Seven
Minutes of added time that Palace had to negotiate before they could celebrate. Newport threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but the Young Eagles showed tremendous determination, with every player contributing to the defensive effort.
Eight
Category One Academies have now had their group-stage fate confirmed. At time of writing, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Palace have secured qualification for the Round of 32, while Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool have been eliminated. Eight Academy sides are still fighting for their place.
10
Minutes on the clock when Jasper Judd opened the scoring with his first goal for the U21s. The wing-back reacted quickest after Amaari Sealey's inswinging corner caused chaos in the Newport penalty area, turning the loose ball into the far corner to give Palace an early advantage.
13
Clearances for George King, the most of any player in the match. One in particular will live long in the memory, as the defender produced an extraordinary acrobatic intervention to hook Dan Sassi's goalbound header onto the crossbar and prevent what looked a certain Newport equaliser on 22 minutes.
14th
Position occupied by Newport County in League Two at the time of the fixture. The Exiles came into the contest having recently put together a nine-match unbeaten run, making Palace's achievement on their own patch all the more impressive.
16
Years and seven days – the age of Nat Kalembo, the youngest player on the pitch at Rodney Parade. It has been a remarkable few months for the defender, who has made his competitive debuts for both the U18s and U21s, trained with the first team and earned a place in a senior matchday squad over the last two months.
Now, he can add being part of an Academy history-making side to that list.
23.6
Years was the average age of Newport's starting XI, compared to just 18.7 for Palace. Despite facing a considerably more experienced opposition, the Young Eagles showed maturity beyond their years to secure their place in the next round.
32
Teams will remain in the competition when the group stages conclude on Wednesday, 25th November. Palace have already guaranteed their place among them, with Tuesday's victory confirming a top-two finish in Southern Group E.
33
Days until the EFL Trophy knockout stages begin. The Round of 32 fixtures are scheduled for the week commencing Monday, 7th December, with further details of Palace's opponents and fixture to follow. Stay tuned to to cpfc.co.uk, the official app and our Academy X (Twitter) page for updates.
40
Successful passes from George King out of 48 attempts – the most of any player on the pitch. Alongside his remarkable defensive contribution, the centre-back was instrumental in helping Palace play through Newport's pressure and got the assist for Jasper's goal!!
56
Travelling supporters made the journey to south Wales to back the Young Eagles under the lights at Rodney Parade. They were rewarded with a memorable evening and the chance to witness a landmark moment in the Academy's history.
78
Minutes played when Angibeaud delivered the decisive blow. Joe Gibbard fizzed a perfectly weighted pass into his path and the forward's clever first touch set him up to calmly beat the advancing 'keeper, sending the Palace bench into jubilant celebrations.
786
Miles travelled by Palace's U21s across their three EFL Trophy group-stage fixtures. From the Academy to trips to Swindon, Plymouth and Newport, the Young Eagles have covered plenty of ground – and their latest journey has taken them somewhere the Academy has never been before: the knockout stages.