Report & Highlights: Spirited Palace defeated by Newcastle

Summary

• Samuel Lusale starts his first game, while Jesse Derry returns from international duty

• Marsh comes close to finding an opener early on

• Newcastle take the lead in the ninth minute through Palmer

• Derry fires narrowly wide in search of an equaliser

• Adams-Collman nearly scores a sensational solo effort

• Eastwood keeps Newcastle at bay towards the end of the half

• HT: Newcastle 1-0 Palace

• Brayson doubles the lead for Newcastle five minutes into the second-half

• Marsh and Derry see chances saved on the hour-mark

• Palmer adds a third for the Magpies in the 69th minute

• Derry pulls one back for Palace with 10 minutes remaining

• Craggs restores a three-goal advantage a few minutes later

• FT: Newcastle 4-1 Palace

Just five days on from the 2-1 win against West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace Under-18s travelled to the North East to face Newcastle United in the U18 Premier League Cup.

Head coach Rob Quinn made two enforced changes to the side, with Matteo Dashi and Jake Grante away on international duty. Samuel Lusale, making his first start at U18s level, and the returning Jesse Derry came in for them.

The young Eagles got off to a good start, with Hindolo Mustapha slipping in Zach Marsh inside the box. He managed to get a shot away which just took a narrow deflection as it curled out and around the post.

In spite of Palace’s bright start, Newcastle took the lead in the ninth minute with their first real chance of note in the game. Darren Palmer was picked out by captain Rory Powell and managed to pick out the top corner from inside the box.

After going a goal down, Palace looked to draw level immediately and almost did so through Derry and Kai-Reece Adams-Collman.

Derry had two chances in quick succession, one where he fired just wide of the post after finding space on the edge of the box and another where his effort from a narrow angle was saved by Aidan Harris in the Newcastle goal.

It was Harris who also denied Adams-Collman from finishing a spectacular solo effort, after he danced past four Newcastle players inside the box.

The hosts did have a few chances towards the end of the first-half, though Billy Eastwood did well to deny them. He managed to pull off a fantastic reaction save to deny a fierce effort from Kacey Wooster inside the box.

After the break, Newcastle managed to double their lead. Thomas Bryant’s surging run through the middle saw him play it into the path of Joe Brayson, who fired across an onrushing Eastwood.

Palace were again trying to find a foothold in the game after conceding, though Harris kept them at bay. A header from Marsh from close range was somehow stopped, while Derry’s effort inside the box was also denied.

The Magpies made Palace rue those chances as they added a third with 20 minutes to go through Palmer. He latched onto a ball played out down the byline and managed to work his way into the box, before finishing at a narrow angle.

Derry did pull one back for Palace with 10 minutes to go, though it was no more than a consolation. A misplaced pass from Sean Neave was seized upon by Mustapha, before it broke once more to Derry who finished on for his eighth goal of the season.

Just as the young Eagles managed to pull one back, Newcastle added another just two minutes later. A short corner routine with a ball into the far post wasn’t dealt with by Palace and substitute Luke Craggs finished unmarked from close range.

Defeat for Palace means that Group G is wide open going into the final set of fixtures in just under two weeks. Quinn’s side remain second on goal difference, though would need a win against Fulham to guarantee qualification for the knockout phase.

Newcastle: Harris (GK), Powell, Bryant, Milmore (Craggs, 77), Watts, Shahar, Brayson, Hernes (Bailey, 71), Wooster (Donaldson, 63), Palmer (Neave, 77), Sanusi.

Sub not used: Ross (GK).

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Adams-Collman, Jemide, King, Cardines, Austin, S. Williams, Mustapha, Lusale (Omobolaji, 86), Marsh, Derry.

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Elliott, Redhead, Cowin.