U21s Report: Palace narrowly edged out in seven-goal thriller

Summary

• Paddy McCarthy made five changes from the side which lost to Bristol Rovers

• Everton took the lead in the opening minute through Charlie Whitaker

• Seb Quirk doubled the lead for the Toffees just 10 minutes later

• Fionn Mooney pulled one back for Palace in the 18th minute

• The visitors restored a two goal cushion on the stroke of half-time through Tom Cannon

• Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-3 Everton

• Sean McAllister added a fourth for the visitors just after the hour mark

• With 20 minutes remaining, Killian Phillips netted Palace’s second

• Joe Anderson was sent off for Everton in the 85th minute

• Victor Akinwale scored from the spot in the 87th minute after Seán Grehan was brought down

• Akinwale stepped up from the spot again in the 90th minute, but his effort was saved

• Full-time: Crystal Palace 3-4 Everton

A week on from the 0-1 victory away at West Ham United, Palace Under-21s were back in action in the Premier League 2 Division 1 as they welcomed Everton to Copers Cope.

Paddy McCarthy made five changes to the side which fell to Bristol Rovers in midweek, with Owen Goodman, Tayo Adaramola, Jack Wells-Morrison, Fionn Mooney and Victor Akinwale all returning for Joe Whitworth, Kofi Balmer, Maliq Cadogan, John-Kymani Gordon and Ademola Ola-Adebomi.

The visitors got off to a perfect start. Pressure from Mathew Mallon saw him win the ball high up the pitch and the full-back managed to push on and put the ball across the box for a sliding Charlie Whitaker to finish.

Palace struggled to get a foothold in the game and the visitors quickly struck a second just 10 minutes later. A cross from Seb Quirk found Stanley Mills and the No. 7 finished with a first-time effort to double the lead for the visitors.

The Eagles were left with it all to do, but managed to find a response just five minutes later. Excellent work down the right from David Omilabu saw him cut the ball back across the box into the path of Mooney. The winger took a touch before finding the bottom corner with a strong shot on the edge of the box.

Akinwale had a chance to level for Palace just a few minutes after pulling one back. A free-kick from Wells-Morrison was headed back across goal by Seán Grehan into an outstretched Akinwale, however his shot was skewed across the box.

On the half-hour mark, Everton nearly reclaimed a two-goal lead from a free-kick. Tom Cannon fired inches wide from the edge of the box.

It looked as though Palace were going into the break a goal behind, however the visitors managed to add another on the stroke of half-time. Pressing from the front once more, Cannon notched a third right before the referee’s whistle.

After the interval, both sides came racing out the blocks in search of more goals. The visitors managed to pull even further ahead just after the hour-mark when Sean McAllister saw his effort from distance loop in from a deflection off a Palace defender.

With the visitors three goals to the good, Palace had a mountain to climb. Killian Phillips clawed one back with 20 minutes remaining, scoring from close range after the second phase of a corner. The midfielder capitalised on the rebound from an Akinwale effort that was spilled by Zan-Luk Leban in the Everton goal.

Phillips’ effort spurred Palace’s push for more, and sustained attacks in the final quarter of the game. Their attempts at salvaging something from the game were given a massive boost in the 85th minute after Everton skipper Joe Anderson was shown a red card for a second bookable offence.

Just two minutes after the visitors went down to ten men, Seán Grehan was brought down inside the box and Palace were awarded a penalty. Akinwale stepped up from the spot calmly slotted home to reduce the deficit to just a single goal, setting up a grandstand finish.

As the fourth official indicated that there would be four minutes added on, Adaramola was brought down inside the box by a late Everton challenge. It was Akinwale who stepped up from 12-yards once more, however this time he went the other way and saw his effort saved by Leban.

It wasn’t to be for the Eagles as the visitors managed to hold on into time added on. The result means that the side’s seven-game unbeaten run has come to an end, though they still remain top of the Premier League 2 Division 1 on goals scored.

Crystal Palace: Goodman, Rodney (Imray, 73), Grehan, Watson, Adaramola, Ozoh (Ola-Adebomi, 56), Wells-Morrison, Phillips, Omilabu (Cadogan, 69), Akinwale, Mooney.

Subs not used: Izquierdo, Raymond.

Everton: Leban, Mallon (Campbell, 80), Hunt, Welch, Anderson, Quirk, Mills (Okoronkwo, 85), Price, Cannon, McAllister, Whitaker (Djankpata, 90+5).

Subs not used: Barrett, Campbell, Djankpata, Kouyaté, Okoronkwo.