Report & Highlights: Young Eagles cruise past Canaries for third straight win

Summary

• Two changes to the side, with Cowin and Agbinone returning

• Marjoram comes close early on for Palace

• Browne narrowly heads over from a corner 15 minutes in

• Casey puts Palace ahead in the 22nd minute

• Agbinone doubles the lead immediately after the restart

• Agbinone gets a second and Palace’s third in the 26th minute

• Sealey pulls one back for Norwich half an hour in

• Agbinone and Grante have chances to add a fourth late on in the half

• HT: Palace 3-1 Norwich

• Agbinone has a chance for a hat-trick early on in the second-half

• Seb Williams sees two chances for a Palace fourth blocked before the hour-mark

• Eastwood makes a great stop to deny Pinyoun with 15 minutes to play

• Palace have half-chances to add a fourth, while Norwich can’t test Eastwood as the game drifts to full-time

• FT: Palace 3-1 Norwich

A week on from the comeback win away at West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace Under-18s were on home soil as they welcomed Norwich City to Copers Cope.

Head coach Rob Quinn made two changes to the side which faced the Baggies, with Freddie Cowin and Asher Agbinone coming back into the fold in place of Trialist and Rio Cardines.

Palace enjoyed a lot of the ball and were on top in the opening exchanges. Right-back Finley Marjoram had the pick of the chances early on, as he picked up the ball on the right hand side and went on a surging run.

He cut inside and fired a left-footed shot on goal that almost nestled in the top corner. Luke Browne had another great chance for Palace, as he headed narrowly over the bar from a Cowin corner.

Halfway through the first-half, Palace took the lead. Captain Joe Gibbard whipped in a corner that Jake Grante got on the end of. The centre-back’s header was parried onto the crossbar and the rebound fell to Benji Casey who was quickest to react for his sixth goal in four games.

Immediately after the restart, Palace won the ball back and played it out down the left towards Agbinone. The Norwich ‘keeper came rushing out to narrow the angle, but Agbinone took a touch round him and finished into the empty net to double the lead within a minute.

Agbinone was causing havoc for the Norwich defence moments later as he netted a third from a near-impossible angle. Played in behind down the left by Seb Williams, the Palace No. 11 drifted towards the byline and managed to curl it in round the ‘keeper for the third just two minutes after going two goals to the good.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Palace, La’Sean Sealey capitalised on a mix up at the back and managed to pull one back for the visitors with just over half an hour gone.

This gave Norwich a semblance of hope, though Palace resumed their period of dominance after conceding. Casey had a chance turned behind after great work from Marjoram, while Agbinone nearly got his hat-trick before half-time.

After the break the Eagles were still on top and continued to create more chances. Agbinone again was spearheading the attacks as he was in search of a hat-trick. Seb Williams came close, though he saw two efforts stopped by last-ditch saves on the line.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Palace ‘keeper Billy Eastwood was called into action to deny Alfie Pinyoun. He got fingertips to the Norwich striker’s header and managed to tip it onto the bar.

Half-chances came and went for both sides, but Palace managed to see the game out and come away with a third successive win in as many games. Quinn’s side remain in sixth place, a point behind Arsenal and three behind Fulham.

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Marjoram (Whyte, 74), Grante, Browne, Cowin, King, Gibbard (Walker-Smith, 74), S. Williams (Adams-Collman, 87), Dashi, Casey (Redhead, 87), Agbinone.

Sub not used: Hill (GK).

Norwich: Trialist (GK), Simbai, T. Williams, Ofori-Manteaw, Keita, Djedje (Mundle, 82), Pinyoun, Chilvers, Daley, Sealy, Owen.

Subs not used: Ruddy (GK), Özcan, Rowland, Okpiahele.