Crystal Palace Under-18s were left to rue two late chances as a superb Shakir Samuels strike condemned them to a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest in their Premier League Cup opener on Tuesday afternoon.
A controversial penalty decision gave Forest the lead inside 10 minutes, but Dotun Lamidi was instrumental in Palace’s response, with his delicious set-piece from the right allowing Jacob Fasida to prod home the equaliser. Greaves then went close to completing the turnaround before the break.
The second half was an even and cagey affair, with both sides probing without creating a clear opening until Forest regained the lead in spectacular fashion in the closing stages.
U18 Premier League Cup champions for the first time last season, Palace began their title defence with a fresh mix of talent.
Javier Alonso made four changes to the side that lost to Southampton in the league on Saturday, with Nat Kalembo returning from injury and Remi Shittu joining Dylan Monk in the back three.
Dotun Lamidi, who recently signed his first professional contract, came in at left wing-back, while Raihaan Anderson moved further forward to join Jamar Lee in the No.10 roles.
A strong challenge from Anderson set the tone in the opening minute as Palace’s title defence got underway.
Forest fashioned the first opening, Spencer Sutton sending a low delivery across the face of goal which Lucca Benetton gathered comfortably.
Palace responded with captain AJ Greaves causing problems from a set-piece. His outswinging corner caused uncertainty in the Forest box, almost falling for the onrushing Anderson to strike from close range.
Approaching the 10-minute mark, Forest began to gain the upper hand and were soon ahead in controversial circumstances.
Monk made two excellent blocks in quick succession to keep the visitors at bay, but from the resulting corner, Harvey Andrews went down under pressure from Greaves after appearing to slip. Despite their seemingly being no contact, the referee pointed to the spot.
Riko Robertson stepped up and sent Benetton the wrong way from 12 yards.
Palace looked for an immediate response, with Lamidi firing a dangerous low cross into the path of Martin, who was unable to turn it into the empty net.
A few minutes later, the Young Eagles were firmly in the ascendancy and creating the better chances, with Lamidi at the heart of it all.
The wing-back was proving a constant threat, first turning his marker brilliantly before using his trickery to burst into the box and fire a low effort narrowly wide of the far corner, with Martin inches away from getting a touch.
Then, midway through the half, Martin latched onto a lofted pass in behind but was denied one-on-one by the Forest ‘keeper.
Palace were piling on the pressure and, with the chances they were creating, it felt like only a matter of time before the leveller came.
Eventually, the Young Eagles received their just reward in the 36th minute. Lamidi, who had been Palace’s main attacking threat, whipped a brilliant set-piece from the right into the heart of the Forest penalty area, where Fasida was alert to prod home the equaliser.
On the stroke of half-time, Alonso’s side almost turned the game around. Greaves raced in behind to latch onto Benetton’s goal kick and beat the Forest ‘keeper to the ball, but his heavy touch struck the post before the hosts scrambled it clear.
Moments later, Greaves was at it again, cutting in from the left before forcing the Forest ‘keeper into a diving save.
The referee soon brought an entertaining first half to a close, with Palace going into the break level but - most importantly - firmly on the front foot.
After the break, it was an evenly matched start. Forest took a little time to settle, with Palace almost capitalising on a couple of lapses in concentration as the hosts tried to play out from the back.
However, Kanye Bradshaw then drifted inside and fizzed a powerful strike just past the post, with Benetton watching it closely.
Both sides continued to probe, but neither was able to create a clear-cut chance as the second half remained finely poised.
On the hour, Monk and Lamidi made way for U18 debutants Jack Stacey and Ja’Shaun Christmas.
Palace then went close to taking the lead when the ball fell to Fasida just a few yards from goal, but he couldn’t make clean contact with his half-volley, sending it straight at the Forest ‘keeper. A big chance for the Young Eagles.
As the game entered its final third, Forest enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and moved the ball well, but Palace’s defensive discipline continued to frustrate the hosts.
With a winner still elusive, Alonso introduced Toby Williams – scorer of that scintillating halfway-line strike in the league opener at West Ham – in place of Martin.
Unfortunately, it was Forest who clinched it. On 82 minutes, substitute Samuels spotted Benetton off his line from inside the Palace half and produced a superb drilled finish, whipping it around the stranded ‘keeper and into the far corner before he could recover.
The Young Eagles then had a number of golden chances to snatch a late leveller, with the opportunities falling to the U16 contingent.
Moses shifted the ball onto his left foot and saw his low effort parried, before Christmas reacted quickest to the rebound but was brilliantly denied. Moments later, Dominic Sime’s header from Fasida’s whipped set-piece grazed the post.
It meant a narrow defeat for the U18s as they began their quest to defend the Premier League Cup.
Alonso’s side will look to return to winning ways when they return to Premier League South action on Saturday against Aston Villa at the Academy – a game you can watch live on Palace TV+!
Palace XI: Benetton (GK); Monk (Christmas, 61), Shittu, Kalembo (Sime, 45); Lamidi (Stacey, 61), Fasida, Bonsu-Amako, Greaves; Anderson, Martin (Williams, 78), Lee (Moses, 81).
Subs not used: Speroni, McDonald.
Nottingham Forest XI: Bailey (GK); Gardner (Nolan, 60), Maveso (Tomako, 79), Andrews (Bartley, 67), Russell, Sutton, Robinson (Bonnick, 67), Jones, Balagizi, Lokote (Samuels, 59), Bradshaw.
Subs not used: Graham, Davies.