U18s Report & Highlights: Penalty perfection wins heroic Palace Premier League Cup

Just five days after their FA Youth Cup hopes were ended by the Red Devils at Old Trafford at the semi-final stage, Javier Alonso's U18s pulled themselves back from the edge of defeat to take an epic Final – laced with chances, incidents and fantastic goalkeeping galore – into extra-time.

There, the Young Eagles – blessed with a man advantage, after Benji Casey won and converted a spot-kick deep into injury-time, cancelling out Noah Ajayi's first-half opener for the visitors and seeing Albert Mills dismissed – attacked with vigour, striking the woodwork on three occasions.

But when there was no winner after 120 minutes, it took a tense penalty shootout to separate the two sides – and there, Palace prevailed, scoring six out of six to defeat the Red Devils and win the competition for the first time in the club's history.

Summary:

• Alonso makes one change to his U18s side following Friday’s FA Youth Cup semi-final, Martin replacing Angibeaud, who suffered a concussion at Old Trafford.
• 8: Ajayi’s appeals for a Man Utd penalty are waved away, before Somade does well to block Obi’s effort.
• 12: Drakes-Thomas makes room before drilling a low effort straight at the 'keeper from outside the area.
• 16: Thwaites whips a Man Utd free-kick over the wall and Benetton responds with a fine save to tip it over the bar.
• 19 – Goal: The visitors open the scoring through Ajayi's low shot.
• 25: Gabriel and Thwaites are both denied by Benetton in quick succession.
• 32: Casey's thunderbolt for Palace rattles the crossbar.
• 37: Benetton claws the ball away from Gabriel in a one-on-one situation.
• HT: Palace U18s 0-1 Manchester United U18s
• 48: The Palace 'keeper palms a fierce strike from Thwaites onto the top of the bar.
• 55: Benetton then makes an outstanding near-post save from Brown, whose effort is tipped onto the post, rolls across the line, and is cleared.
• 57: Benamar fires a fierce effort into the side-netting from a tight angle.
• 74: Ibragimov misses from close range for Man Utd, seconds before Obi hits the bar – the visitors' third effort against the woodwork.
• 79: The Young Eagles push forward and Casey's header is denied by Byrne-Hughes.
• 90+2 - RED CARD: Casey bursts onto a ball in behind and is pulled back by Mills, who is sent off for Man Utd.
• 90+4 - GOAL: The Palace No. 9 picks himself up to slot home an inch-perfect pressure penalty.
• FT: Palace U18s 1-1 Manchester United U18s
• 97: With a one-man advantage, the momentum is with Palace, as Casey is denied by Byrne-Hughes before Danaher smashes an effort against the bar.
• 105: Drakes-Thomas' miscued cross hits the top of the woodwork as the Young Eagles dominate.
• HT in ET: Palace U18s 1-1 Manchester United U18s
• 107: The visitors have a penalty appeal waved away as Lusale and Bull come together in the box.
• 110: McEvoy blazes over a glorious chance at the end of a Man Utd counter.
• 114: Benamar smashes an effort goalwards but Byrne-Hughes turns it onto the bar – a third shot against the woodwork in extra-time.
• 120+2: Benetton makes a rare mis-kick in the Palace goal, but recovers to slide in and dispossess Obi in the final seconds.
• FT in ET: Palace U18s 1-1 Manchester United U18s
• After five perfect penalties apiece, Benetton turns Kukonki's effort onto the bar – and Benamar finds the top corner to win it for Palace!
• PALACE ARE THE 2026 PREMIER LEAGUE CUP WINNERS!

The stage was set for an epic – and boy did this U18 Premier League Cup Final deliver at Selhurst Park, in front of a boisterous crowd of just shy of 4,000.

It was the first time Palace had reached the Final, having fallen at semi-final stage in 2023/24 to the same opponents at Carrington, whilst United arrived in strong form, lifting the trophy that season and enjoying another impressive run this season.

Second in the U18 Premier League North, unbeaten in 14 games, and having edged Palace in the Youth Cup semi-final on Friday, Darren Fletcher’s side were set to provide a stern test for the Young Eagles.

Javier Alonso made one change, with Donte Martin replacing David Angibeaud, who sustained a concussion at Old Trafford. Skipper Jasper Judd remained unavailable through injury, while Mylo Bernard was on England duty in the USA.

Palace started brightly, with Dean Benamar a constant outlet down the left. The 17-year-old surged forward at every opportunity, twice looking to slide teammates in behind before creating the first opening of the evening.

United soon began to grow into the contest. Inside seven minutes, Noah Ajayi drove into the box and went to ground under pressure, but the referee waved away the appeals. Moments later, Chido Obi broke free of Sean Somade and got a shot away, only for the Palace defender to recover well and make a crucial block.

Approaching the quarter-hour mark, Palace were in the ascendancy. Joel Drakes-Thomas teased his marker with quick feet before drilling a low effort straight at the goalkeeper.

At the other end, Jim Thwaites threatened from a set-piece, his whipped free-kick beating the wall, but Lucca Benetton was equal to it, producing an excellent diving save – his first of many on the night, the 15-year-old in inspired form – to tip the ball over the bar.

United's breakthrough followed in the 19th minute. Chido Obi’s pass found Ajayi in space inside the area, and the forward made no mistake, stroking a composed finish into the far corner to give United the lead.

Palace were enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but United remained a threat on the counter. Gabriel burst into the area, worked space with a series of stepovers, and fired on the swivel – only for Benetton to produce an excellent stop to palm it away.

The game then opened up. Palace came inches from levelling as Casey shifted the ball inside the box and rifled a thunderous strike from a tight angle against the crossbar. Benamar recycled possession and crossed, but Raihaan Anderson couldn’t connect cleanly and United hacked clear.

The young Reds pushed to extend their lead before the break, but Benetton was in inspired form, making a crucial intervention to claw the ball away from JJ Gabriel, who was attempting to round him one-on-one.

Two minutes were added on, but despite pushing for an equaliser, Palace went into the break behind.

It was a lively start to the second-half. United won an early free-kick, and Thwaites’ fierce strike proved difficult for Benetton to deal with initially, the Palace goalkeeper only able to palm it up into the air and onto the bar; he did well, however, to gather at the second attempt.

Chances continued at both ends approaching the hour mark. A direct ball into the box dropped for Junior Brown, who struck towards the near post, with Benetton appearing to get a superb fingertip on it.

The effort clipped the inside of the post and rolled agonisingly towards the goal line before Charlie Walker-Smith arrived to clear.

At the other end, Benamar remained a constant threat down the left, the wing-back getting to the byline once more before seeing a rising effort ripple the side-netting.

As the half wore on, Palace began to grow in confidence, settling into the game and forcing United 'keeper Cameron Byrne-Hughes into action. Benamar’s excellent cross picked out Martin, whose firm header – perhaps too firm – looped over the bar, though his movement to find space was intelligent.

United responded immediately as Obi teed up Brown, who broke in down the right channel and went for the near post, only to be denied once again by an excellent save from Benetton.

Entering the final 15 minutes of regulation time, United arguably ought to have killed off the contest: first, Amir Ibragimov skewed wide from six yards with the net gaping, and then Obi chipped Benetton one-on-one, but rattled the crossbar moments.

Palace – somehow – were still in it. Drakes-Thomas skipped past his marker and went to ground, but the referee waved away strong appeals for a penalty. Moments later, Euan Danaher’s out-swinging corner picked out Casey, whose goalbound header was well saved by Byrne-Hughes.

Entering stoppage time, Palace captain Chuks Okoli went close with a dipping volley – and then, the moment which changed the course of the contest.

A brilliant run from Casey to reach Okoli's ball forwards. The No. 9 got there, took a touch, and was hauled back by visiting defender Albert Mills – who was immediately sent off for a professional foul.

Despite the protests that the contact began outside the area, a spot-kick was awarded – and deep into injury time, it was the very definition of a pressure penalty.

Not that you'd know it, however, from Casey's cool effort, with Byrne-Hughes diving the right way, but never able to get near the bottom corner which the Palace scorer picked out with precision, taking the contest into extra-time.

What followed, with Palace up against 10 men, was 30 minutes more of extraordinary drama at Selhurst Park.

The pressure to attack was on Alonso's side, and Anderson first tested Byrne-Hughes with a firm header, before the young forward had an effort from a set-piece crowded out.

Moments later, Palace hit the woodwork for the first of three occasions in extra-time. Seconds after Casey was denied following a smart turn inside the area, the ball fell to Danaher, who crashed an effort from the edge of the box against the upright.

Then, on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, another effort against the woodwork, albeit slightly more fortuitously as Drakes-Thomas' apparent cross looped over the 'keeper and hit the frame of the goal.

United were threatening in fits and starts, but the momentum was all Palace's.

That being said, the second-half of extra-time did see the Red Devils threaten, as Samuel Lusale appealed vehemently for a penalty after a challenge by Hugo Bull – nothing given – and Jay McEvoy somehow blazed over the bar at the culmination of a rapid counter-attack.

Having twisted inside his marker, and with the goal at his mercy, the United attacker really ought to have scored – but to the relief of Selhurst Park, he did not.

On we battled, and on 114 minutes, it was extraordinarily another 'nearly' moment for Palace as Benamar showed excellent control to chest down a cross and fire a fierce rising half-volley goalwards. Byrne-Hughes produced an incredible save at any level, as the strike thumped the crossbar and sailed behind.

In the final few seconds, United Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher swapped goalkeepers – Freddie Heath replacing Byrne-Hughes – whilst Benetton, such an inspiration throughout the night for Palace, made an excellent quick recovery from an initial mis-kick to tackle Obi in the final few seconds.

It seemed only fitting a night packed with such incident would go to penalties.

And it was also fitting the shootout would match the quality of the game, as both teams converted all five of their initial opening spot kicks – frequently finding the top corner to leave the opposition goalkeeper grasping at thin air.

For Palace, it was Casey – again – along with Anderson, Drakes-Thomas, Jacob Fasida and Walker-Smith who all scored their pressure kicks.

Then, the brilliant Benetton produced another magical moment, springing high to his left to turn Godwill Kukonki's shot onto the bar.

Up stepped Benamar with the chance to seal glory – and as the top corner of the net bulged with his brilliant kick, Palace's youngsters streamed onto the pitch amidst scenes of jubilation in SE25.

A proud, dramatic, unforgettable night for the Crystal Palace Academy.

Palace: Benetton (GK), Fasida, Somade (Bull, 102), Walker-Smith, Benamar, Danaher, Okoli, Anderson, Drakes-Thomas, Martin (Moses, 80), Casey.

Subs: Mason (GK), Monk, Frazer-Williams.

Man Utd: Byrne-Hughes (GK) (Heath, 120+1, GK), Helafu, Armer, Kukonki, Mills, McCormack (McEvoy, 84), Thwaites, Brown (Ibragimov, 72), Gabriel (Overy, 72), Ajayi (Lusale, 56), Obi.

As It Happened