Report & Highlights: Stevenage send Palace out of EFL Trophy

Summary

• Six changes to the side which faced Wimbledon

• Stevenage take the lead early on via an own goal

• Neal hits the bar 11 minutes in

• Jake Forster-Caskey doubles the lead from a free-kick

• Palace pull one back through Ebiowei in the 17th minute

• Ola-Adebomi levels for Palace in the 20th minute with his 10th of the season

• Stevenage reclaim the lead through Harvey White just two minutes later

• Ebiowei hits the post just before half-time

• HT: Stevenage 3-2 Palace

• Pressley restores Stevenage’s two-goal cushion shortly after the restart

• Ola-Adebomi is denied a second by the Stevenage ‘keeper

• Pressley secures a brace late on

• FT:  Stevenage 5-2 Palace

Four days on from the defeat to Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace Under-21s travelled to Hertfordshire to face the first-team of Stevenage in their final game of this season’s EFL Trophy.

Head coach Darren Powell made six changes to the side, with a number of players away on international duty.

The hosts were on top early on and managed to find a breakthrough early on through a set piece. A ball floated in from Jake Forster-Caskey wasn’t cleared and unfortunately bounced off of Palace centre-back Joe Sheridan into the back of the net.

For the second successive EFL Trophy game in a row, the Eagles were behind early on and had it all to do. Stevenage nearly added a second five minutes after going a goal infront, though Harrison Neal headed onto the crossbar.

Despite rattling the woodwork, Stevenage did manage to double their lead 15 minutes in with a free-kick from Jake Forster-Caskey. The midfielder lined up an effort from 20-yards out and Jackson Izquierdo managed to get two hands to it, but couldn’t quite keep it out as it went in off the inside of the post.

While Forster-Caskey fired home from 20-yards, Malcolm Ebiowei managed to find the back of the net for Palace from almost double that a couple of minutes later. A misplaced pass from Stevenage ‘keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond fell right into the path of Ebiowei and the winger looped home a first-time strike into an empty net from near on 40 yards.

Momentum swung in Palace’s way after Ebiowei’s stunning long-range strike and Ademola Ola-Adebomi was on hand to level just three minutes later. The No. 9 got on the end of a cross from Danny Imray inside the six-yard box, heading in from close range.

The Eagles’ hard work immediately came undone as Stevenage reclaimed the lead just two minutes after Ola-Adebomi’s header. Harvey White found space on the edge of the box to get a fierce strike away, which beat Izquierdo in the Palace goal.

The chaos of the opening 25 minutes gave way to 20 minutes of calm as the game settled towards half-time. Palace almost drew level in first-half stoppage time, though Ebiowei was denied a sensational solo effort by the fingertips of Ashby-Hammond and the post.

After the break, Stevenage managed to restore their two-goal cushion. A flurry of corners early on were dealt with by Palace, but a cross to the far post was met by Aaron Pressley who headed in at close-range.

Chances were few and far between for Palace as the hosts continued to dominate the ball and the game with a two-goal lead. Justin Devenny, who was playing left wing-back, floated a ball across onto the head of Ola-Adebomi, though his header was saved by Ashby-Hammond.

Palace couldn’t fight back from a two-goal deficit again and it was made worst late on as Pressley secured a brace. Much like his first, he attacked the ball at the near post - this time from a corner - and found the back of the net.

The referee brought an end to proceedings after five minutes of time adding on, signalling the end of Palace’s EFL Trophy campaign in 2023/24. Attention now turns to the Premier League Cup, International Cup and the league itself.

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond (GK) (Woodford (GK), 82), Wildin, Forster-Caskey (Hicks, 82), List (Hemmings, 90+5), Smith, Vancooten (L. Thompson, 45), White, Pressley (Evans, 86), Neal, B. Thompson, Hannam.

Sub not used: Freeman.

Palace: Izquierdo (GK), Imray, Sheridan, Watson, Rodney, Ozoh (Marsh, 87), Devenny, Wells-Morrison, Ebiowei (Mathurin, 74), Ola-Adebomi (Akinwale, 84), França (Raymond, 74).

Subs not used: Eastwood (GK), Cardines.