Report & Highlights: Late Spurs leveller denies 10-man Palace fifth straight win

Summary

• Quinn named an unchanged side for the third successive game

• Spurs have a golden chance early on which Akhamrich hits over the bar

• Agbinone fires Palace ahead 10 minutes in

• He and Casey almost get a second a couple of minutes later

• Cowin fires a free-kick narrowly over the bar half an hour in

• Gibbard is denied just before half-time

• HT: Palace 1-0 Spurs

• Spurs start the second-half brightly and force Eastwood into saves

• Browne and Grante stand firm in front of Eastwood to deny Spurs

• Gibbard is shown a second yellow card in the 72nd minute

• Palace withstand Spurs pressure, but concede an equaliser in the 86th minute

• FT: Palace 1-1 Spurs

With only four games left to play, including this one, Crystal Palace Under-18s welcomed Tottenham Hotspur to Copers Cope as they looked to end their campaign strongly.

Head coach Rob Quinn named the same side which put three past Southampton last week, with the in-form Benji Casey continuing to lead the line.

Despite Palace’s good form, it was Spurs who started the initial moments of the game stronger. A cross on the left hand side from the overlapping Maeson King found Yusuf Akhamrich in the box, but the forward cleared the crossbar on the volley.

With only 10 minutes on the clock, Palace took the lead. Matteo Dashi played Asher Agbinone through on a breakaway and the winger carried the ball from inside his own half to the edge of the box.

He found a yard of space, with defenders closing in on him, to work it onto his right foot and get a clean shot away into the bottom corner past Elliot Krasniqi in the Spurs goal.

Palace quickly looked to double their lead immediately, but were thwarted by the Spurs defence. Agbinone was once again played in, this time by ‘keeper Billy Eastwood, and he raced towards the six-yard box only for his shot to be parried away by Krasniqi.

The resulting corner saw George King rise highest to head back across goal to Jake Grante. His header was spilled across the face and Casey closing in at the far post couldn’t quite get his footing right to turn it in.

Spurs nearly hit back to draw level just over a quarter of an hour in through Akhamrich, although in similar circumstances to his chance early on - he fired over the bar.

The best of the chances in the remainder of the half came through set pieces. Palace had a corner narrowly cleared off the line and Freddie Cowin’s free-kick from the edge of the box was just over the bar.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ Akhamrich tried to deceive Eastwood with a free-kick from the edge of the box towards his near post, but the Palace stopper was equal to it. One final chance fell to skipper Joe Gibbard just before half-time, after he was played in by a delightful Agbinone backheel, but he was denied by the onrushing ‘keeper.

The second-half saw Spurs dial up the pressure to find a way back into the game. Palace were resolute in defence, however and stood firm to deny their early chances.

Callum Olusesi worked the ball well to find some space on the edge of the box, though Grante slid in well to deny his initial effort and Eastwood did well on the follow-up.

It was the Eastwood show in part, as he made an excellent save to deny Leo Black’s long range effort and another to stop Damola Ajayi on the hour-mark. Browne also did incredibly well to hold off a Spurs attacker who was through on goal.

The Eagles were reduced to 10 men with about 20 minutes remaining after captain Gibbard was shown a second yellow card. The midfielder was adjudged to have denied a Spurs restart as his second bookable offence.

It was now a matter of holding onto the lead to leapfrog their north London counterparts in the table and Palace were doing well. Eastwood again made another stop to deny Olusesi at his near post, but Spurs were banging on the door.

Unfortunately, for all of Palace’s best efforts in holding on, Spurs managed to level things up four minutes from time. They forced an own goal from a corner, which narrowly glanced in off of Cormac Austin.

In the eight minutes that were added on, both sides had half-chances to claim all three points, but there was no winner in the end. The points were shared and the result means that Quinn’s side remain in sixth: a point behind Spurs, three off Fulham and four behind Arsenal with three games remaining.

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Marjoram, Grante, Browne, Cowin, G. King, Gibbard, S. Williams (Adams-Collman, 68), Dashi (Austin, 84), Casey (Redhead, 90+1), Agbinone.

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Whyte.

Spurs: Krasniqi (GK), Willhoft-King, M. King, Baptiste, Hardy, Black, Adewole, Olusesi, Ajayi, Akhamrich, Lehane (Williams-Barnett, 65).

Subs not used: Thompson (GK), Orr, Adelusi, Logan.