Report & Highlights: Derry scores stunner as Palace lose out to Brighton

Summary

• Two changes as Adams-Collman and Dashi come in for Cardines and Marsh

• Brighton threaten early on through Tasker and Belmont

• Seb Williams fires narrowly wide in the opening 10 minutes

• Dashi’s header is held by the ‘keeper

• Brighton take the lead in the 20th minute through West

• Bashir is shown a second yellow card five minutes before half-time

• After multiple delays, Palace equalise through a Dashi header 42 minutes in

• Brighton reclaim the lead two minutes later through Moulton

• Palace have chances to draw level in first-half stoppage time, but can't break through

• HT: Brighton 2-1 Palace

• Cowin hits a volley just wide of the post early on in the second-half

• Derry sees a chance cleared off the line and Grante’s follow up goes over

• Belmont puts Brighton further ahead on the hour-mark

• Palace almost pull one back five minutes later via a Derry free-kick

• Omobolaji and Whyte make their first appearances since November, off the bench

• Derry scores an outstanding scissor volley in stoppage time

• Brighton immediately restore their two goal lead a minute later

• FT: Brighton 4-2 Palace

Just over a week on from a narrow defeat at Selhurst Park against Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup fifth round, Crystal Palace Under-18s travelled to face fierce rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in a return to league action.

There were two changes to the side, with Kai-Reece Adams-Collman and Matteo Dashi coming in for Rio Cardines and Zach Marsh.

Brighton started the half brightly, with Charlie Tasker and Joe Belmont threatening with two chances in the opening five minutes.

Palace’s best chance early on fell to Seb Williams. After Jake Grante pressed up to win the ball back on the halfway line, it broke to Williams about 25-yards out and his first-time strike went narrowly wide of the post.

Freddie Cowin, in his second successive start at left-back, combined well with Jesse Derry down the left and won a free-kick out wide. Derry floated a ball in that was well met by Dashi, though it was held by Lorenz Ferdinand in the Brighton goal.

The hosts took the lead in the 20th minute, almost against the run of play. A long ball from Ferdinand was picked up by Sahil Bashir out wide, his ball across the face of goal was parried away, but Aidan West was in place to finish from close range.

Palace were now looking to draw level after the hosts took the lead, but attempts were few and far between as the game was intermittently delayed by fouls and offsides from both sides.

Five minutes before the break, Brighton were reduced to 10 men as Bashir was shown a second yellow card. The young Eagles made the man advantage instantly count by drawing level through Dashi.

Captain Mofe Jemide played it out towards Freddie Cowin on the left hand side and the left-back floated in a pinpoint cross to find Dashi at the far post, who headed in with ease past Ferdinand.

It looked as though the two sides were going into the break level, but Brighton reclaimed the lead almost immediately after restarting. Remiero Moulton capitalised on a mixup at the back and fired a 30-yard effort into an empty net.

After the interval, Palace continued to plug away in search of an equaliser. A flurry of chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half saw Cowin, Derry, Grante and Joe Gibbard go close, though Ferdinand wasn’t really tested.

For all of Palace’s attempts at pulling level for a second time, Brighton struck a devastating blow with an exceptional Joe Belmont strike on the hour-mark. From distance, he managed to pick out the top corner and give the hosts a two-goal cushion.

Derry almost picked out the top corner five minutes after Brighton’s screamer, with a free-kick from 20-yards out, though he fired just inches wide.

As the game trickled into stoppage time, second-half substitute Tyler Whyte - making his first appearance since November - went on a marauding run down the right hand side. After carrying the ball over half the length of the pitch, he picked out an onrushing Derry at the far post who met it with a scissor-kick volley.

A goal of the season contender from Derry set up something of a grandstand finish in the dying embers of the game, however it wasn’t to be as Brighton responded immediately after conceding as Jaydon Fuller went straight down the other end to put the game to bed.

The result means Quinn’s side slipped to sixth in the U18 Premier League South, two points behind Fulham.

Brighton: Ferdinand (GK), Tasker, Mills, Mackley, Penman, Albarus (Gulzar, 82), West (Lee, 71), Nti, Belmont (Fuller, 82), Moulton (Oriola, 71), Bashir.

Sub not used: Gorman.

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Grante, King (Whyte, 71), Jemide, Cowin, Adams-Collman (Redhead, HT), Gibbard, S. Williams, Dashi (Omobolaji, 77), Agbinone, Derry.

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Elliott.