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U18s preview: Palace visit arch-rivals Brighton
Crystal Palace Under-18s travel to arch-rivals Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (31st October, 11:00 GMT), aiming to make it four consecutive wins in all competitions and continue their climb up the U18 Premier League South table.
The Story So Far
Javier Alonso’s side have found their stride since returning from the September-October international break, winning their last three matches in all competitions.
A crucial 3-0 victory over Leeds United in the U18 Premier League Cup kept Palace’s title defence alive before the Young Eagles ran riot at Ipswich Town, with Donte Martin’s hat-trick inspiring an emphatic 6-2 win.
Martin was at it again against Reading last Saturday, scoring a second consecutive hat-trick as Palace raced into a 5-0 half-time lead. Makai Bernard-Ferguson and Jacob Fasida were also on target in a dominant first-half display at the Academy.
Reading responded after the restart, however, scoring three times as the Young Eagles were reduced to nine men following red cards for Daniel Owoade and Alfie Mulvenna.
Despite the late pressure, Palace held on to make it back-to-back league victories and three wins on the bounce in all competitions. Alonso’s side now sit 10th in the 16-team division on 10 points, looking to carry their attacking momentum into Saturday’s clash.
Our opposition – Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton sit mid-table with 16 points from their opening eight league matches, having won five, drawn one and lost two.
The Seagulls began the campaign with a 3-1 victory over Birmingham City before being edged out in an 11-goal thriller against Bournemouth, losing 7-4. A 2-1 win over Arsenal followed, but draws against Reading and a heavy defeat to Chelsea brought a brief halt to their progress.
Brighton have since responded impressively, putting together a strong run of results against Aston Villa, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Norwich City.
Their latest outing saw them score four second-half goals to secure a 4-2 victory over Norwich, with Chris Condy, Mason Stevens and substitute Jacob Parsons among the scorers.
The Seagulls will therefore head into Saturday’s derby in confident mood, having found their scoring touch in recent weeks.
Last season, Brighton recorded a club-record 49 points in the U18 Premier League South, finishing fourth and setting a new benchmark for the club’s U18s in the division.
U18 Premier League explained…
The Young Eagles compete in the U18 Premier League South, the top level of youth football for Category One academies in England.
The competition is split into northern and southern sections, with Palace playing 30 matches against 15 southern opponents, home and away.
The southern section features 16 clubs this season after AFC Bournemouth and Brentford gained Category One status, while Leicester City moved to the northern section.
At the end of the campaign, the northern and southern section winners meet to decide the national champions.
• Watch the game LIVE on Palace TV+ here.
Likely line-up
Expected Brighton XI: Wilson-Papps, Cooper, Evans, Ezenwata, Nneji, Hartshorn, Brennan (c), Stephens, Parsons, Palmer, Condy.
Team news
Palace will be without two players following their red cards against Reading last Saturday.
Centre-back Alfie Mulvenna received a one-match suspension and will miss the trip to Brighton, while full-back Daniel Owoade has been handed a two-match ban. The latter will also be unavailable for the decisive U18 Premier League Cup clash with Aston Villa.
Pre-Match analysis
Brighton will approach Saturday full of confidence after a strong run of results, scoring 14 goals across their last four Premier League South victories.
The Seagulls’ attacking threat will pose a test for Palace, who conceded three times against Reading despite building a commanding five-goal lead before half-time.
However, the Young Eagles have scored 14 goals across their last two league outings, with Martin in particularly devastating form after back-to-back hat-tricks.
With both sides carrying attacking momentum into the contest, Saturday’s derby promises to be an entertaining test for Alonso’s side as they look to extend their winning run.
Key player – Chris Condy
Brighton centre-forward Chris Condy has established himself as a threat in front of goal, scoring four times in eight appearances this season.
The striker arrived at Rangers from Hamilton Academical at the start of last season and quickly made an impression, scoring more than 20 goals for the Scottish club’s Academy.
Now leading the line for Brighton, Condy will be one for Palace’s defence to watch as the Young Eagles look to contain the Seagulls’ recent attacking surge.
The Gaffer - Carl Martin
Carl Martin took charge of Brighton’s U18s over the summer, having spent just under seven years at Southampton.
During his time on the south coast, Martin progressed through the club’s coaching structure before most recently serving as assistant manager of the men’s first team.
He now leads Brighton’s next generation, with Saturday’s derby providing a test against a Palace side looking to make it four consecutive victories in all competitions.
How to follow
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Saturday, with coverage beginning at 10:45 GMT ahead of the 11:00 GMT kick-off. Find out more and subscribe here.
Supporters can also follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
Match Details
Brighton & Hove Albion U18s v Palace U18s
- Saturday, 31st October
- 11:00 GMT
- The Amex Elite Football Performance Centre
- U18 Premier League South
- LIVE on Palace TV+