Crystal Palace suffered a first pre-season defeat under Pierre Sage on Saturday afternoon, a combination of errant defending and finishing resulting in a 3-0 defeat at Bromley.
Summary:
- A separate Palace XI per half is named by Pierre Sage once again.
- 4: Cardines’ rasping drive is fingertipped over the bar by Bromley goalkeeper George.
- 11: França and Esse are denied in quick succession by the home ‘stopper.
- 14: Rak-Sakyi runs clear but is prevented from shooting by a last-ditch tackle.
- 28: França blazes over from Rak-Sakyi’s chest-down.
- 31: The Brazilian then spurns two opportunities from a loose Bromley backpass; Devenny’s effort is cleared off the line.
- HT: Bromley 0-0 Palace
- Palace make 11 changes at half-time.
- 49: Johnson’s free-kick goes over the wall but hits the side netting.
- 52: Mitchell’s low ball in threatens to reach Drakes-Thomas but George intervenes.
- 61: Nketiah seizes on a backpass but is denied, with Johnson’s follow-up also kept out.
- 62 – Goal: Adeboyejo races onto a long kick forward to give Bromley the lead.
- 65: Substitute Bromley ‘keeper Addai produces excellent stops from Imray and Nketiah.
- 68: Drakes-Thomas spurns a clear opportunity in front of goal.
- 75 – Goal: Bromley double their lead from the spot through Adeboyejo.
- 80: Palace hit the bar and fail to capitalise on subsequent goalmouth scramble.
- 86 – Goal: The hosts complete the scoring through Kabamba’s header.
- FT: Bromley 3-0 Palace
Off the back of a convincing 5-1 win over League Two side Swindon Town in Pierre Sage’s first match in charge, the Eagles headed to League One side Bromley for their next pre-season test.
Palace once again lined up with separate XIs in both halves, with Matheus França, who scored a hat-trick in the second-half last weekend, up front for the first-half – one of six swaps between the two separate XIs in that victory – and Eddie Nketiah, who notched a brace, leading the line in the second.
Palace started brightly, too, setting the tone for the afternoon by creating plenty of early opportunities – but also failing to take them.
Rio Cardines was first to go close inside five minutes, teed up by some nice play from Justin Devenny and Romain Esse, but the Trinidad and Tobago international’s rising drive was tipped over by Bromley ‘keeper Shamal George.
Seven minutes later, França was in the thick of it again, a chipped ball forwards playing the Brazilian through one-on-one – only for George to deny both him and, on the follow-up, Esse.
At the other end, Tayo Adaramola was grateful for some sharp footwork by goalkeeper Walter Benítez after his wayward backpass threatened to creep into the bottom corner – but Jesurun Rak-Sakyi went close again for Palace moments later, running clear only to be prevented a shot on goal by a last-ditch challenge from Alex Stepien-Iwumene.
Chances proved few and far between for the rest of the opening period, although a lovely chipped pass by Will Hughes – after he had juggled the ball over a Bromley midfielder – saw Rak-Sakyi chest down inside the box, and França blaze over from a good position.
The Brazilian had another big chance on the half-hour mark as he seized on a loose backpass and, out wide left, saw his first effort kept out by George. Picking up on the rebound, he went for the near post and saw his shot shaved by George, before Devenny’s follow-up on the half-volley was cleared by a defender on the line.
That was the last real action of the first-half – but with both teams rotating heavily, the contest certainly opened up in the second.
In quick succession after the half-time whistle, Brennan Johnson went close with a curling free-kick; Tyrick Mitchell’s low ball in forced George into a sharp save to steer the ball away from Joel Drakes-Thomas; and Nketiah and Johnson both stopped by the Bromley keeper after they initially appeared to have rounded him.
But on 62 minutes, the game changed in a moment, as a long kick forwards from George evaded the head of Mofe Jemide and allowed Victor Adeboyejo to run in behind and deftly lob the ball over Joe Whitworth for the opener.
Even then, Palace continued to create plenty of glorious opportunities in quick succession: Danny Imray planted a header just wide from Drakes-Thomas’ clipped cross; Nketiah was denied by an excellent save from substitute goalkeeper Dillon Addai; and Drakes-Thomas steered wide from Nketiah’s sharp turn and pull-back when, any other day, the teenager would surely have rippled the back of the net.
Palace were made to pay for their profligacy, however, as Bromley doubled their advantage, Adoboyejo slamming home an emphatic penalty after Ethon Archer had seized on a loose pass from Cheick Doucouré and drawn a foul inside the box from the Mali midfielder.
Even then, at the rate Palace were creating chances, you would have fancied them to get back into the game had one been converted – somehow, Nketiah’s deflected effort looped up against the bar, and David Ozoh could not force it over the line amidst a goalmouth scramble.
The scoring was completed by Bromley with five minutes remaining as Nicke Kabamba was left with too much space inside the six-yard area, heading back across goal and in.
Imray was to have one final opportunity for Palace deep into stoppage time, his header from Borna Sosa’s cross well kept out by Addai, as the Eagles suffered a first defeat under Sage.
Palace first-half XI: Benítez (GK); Canvot, Walker-Smith, Adaramola; Cardines, Devenny, Hughes, Benamar; Esse, França, Rak-Sakyi.
Palace second-half XI: Whitworth (GK); King, Jemide, Sosa; Imray, Ozoh, Doucouré, Mitchell; Drakes-Thomas, Nketiah, Johnson.
Substitute: Matthews (GK)