U18 Report & Highlights: Five-star Palace thrash Birmingham

Summary:

• Javier Alonso makes three changes to the side that beat Newcastle in the FA Youth Cup, including a second start for U16s 'keeper Lucca Benetton.
• 2 - GOAL: Donte Martin's tightly-angled half-volley finds the far corner to give us an early lead.
• 8 - GOAL: David Angibeaud doubles our lead from the spot.
• Birmingham weather wave after wave of Palace attack.
• 20: Stuart Oduro has the ball in the back of the net, but it's ruled out for offside.
• 25: Martin drags his low shot wide of the far post.
• 32 - GOAL: Jasper Judd's pinpoint delivery is nodded home by Martin for his second of the morning!
• 36: Angibeaud's half-volley is straight down the 'keepers throat.
• 45 - GOAL: Angibeaud steals the ball off the defender and slots into the far corner one-on-one.
• HT: Palace 4-0 Birmingham
• 48: Martin nearly has his hat-trick, before Danaher's effort is pushed onto the post.
• 53: Okoli's strike brushes the far post.
• 56 - GOAL: Judd's outswinger is headed onto the bar by Okoli, before Sean Somade reacts quickest to bundle over the line.
• 73: Mylo Bernard is threaded through one-on-one, but his effort is wide of the target.
• 80: Frazer-Williams goes on a marauding run forward and rattles the bar from distance.
• 87: Martin is denied a hat-trick after his back-post tap-in is adjudged offside.
• FT: Palace 5-0 Birmingham

Heading into the fixture, Palace were looking to build on the momentum of an emphatic 4-0 FA Youth Cup fourth-round victory away at Newcastle. In league action, however, the young Eagles were coming off a disappointing 3-1 defeat to West Brom.

That result left Palace third in the U18 Premier League South table on 24 points, six behind leaders Chelsea, with Saturday’s clash providing the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways.

Birmingham City are making their debut in the U18 Premier League South this season, following a rapid academy rebuild that has seen them regain Category One status. A 2-1 victory over Southampton last time out – thanks to goals from Cobi Maddox and Nikolai Degtiarev – gave them a timely boost ahead of the trip to south London.

Javier Alonso made three changes to the side that impressed against Newcastle in the FA Youth Cup. Lucca Benetton replaced Jack Mason in goal, while Donte Martin and Daniel Owoade came in for Benji Casey and Joel Drakes-Thomas respectively.

Charlie Walker-Smith and Jacob Fasida were also named in the squad – with the former starting – despite both having featured as substitutes for the U21s against Ipswich on Friday night.

It was a dream start for Palace as Jasper Judd launched a long ball forward, David Angibeaud flicked it on to Stuart Oduro on the edge of the area, and the midfielder threaded Donte Martin through on goal. Martin made no mistake, rifling a tight-angled half-volley into the far corner to give the young Eagles the lead inside two minutes.

A few minutes later, Angibeaud battled through a crowd of white shirts to tee up Oduro in acres of space just inside the penalty area. As he prepared to shoot, however, the referee declined to play advantage and instead halted play for the foul, with Dean Benamar’s resulting free-kick sailing over the bar.

Palace did double their lead on eight minutes, though, courtesy of Angibeaud’s ninth goal in 10 games. Birmingham attempted to play out from the back, but the Palace press was alert, with Oduro brought down as he forced a turnover to win a penalty. Angibeaud stepped up and calmly converted from the spot.

The visitors continued to weather wave after wave of Palace pressure as the young Eagles moved the ball sharply, dominated possession, and left Birmingham looking short of ideas. On the 20-minute mark, Oduro thought he had added a third, sliding the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs, only for the flag to rule him offside.

Soon after, Euan Danaher forced a turnover in a dangerous area and slipped Martin through on goal, but the forward dragged his effort wide. By midway through the half, the contest had taken on the feel of a training exercise as Palace remained firmly in control.

Palace added a third as the game entered its final third, with Martin grabbing his second of the morning. Jasper Judd’s pinpoint inswinging corner allowed the forward to lose his marker and power a header home from close range. Moments later, Angibeaud went in search of a second of his own, but his half-volley was straight at the 'keeper.

The young Eagles continued to threaten the Birmingham goal, mixing speculative efforts from distance in an attempt to catch the 'keeper out with slick passing moves that so often broke down only at the final ball.

Palace rounded off a scintillating first half by adding a fourth. An aggressive high press, led by Angibeaud, saw the forward nick possession from a defender attempting to play out from the back before racing through one-on-one and sending the 'keeper the wrong way, sliding calmly into the opposite corner. A breathtaking half from the young Eagles.

Palace picked up where they left off after the break, with Martin going agonisingly close to completing his hat-trick before Danaher’s follow-up effort was tipped onto the post. Ten minutes into the half, the ball was laid back to Chuks Okoli just inside the penalty area, and his fierce strike shaved the outside of the far post.

Just before the hour mark, Palace made it five. Judd’s outswinging corner was headed onto the crossbar by the onrushing Okoli, before Sean Somade reacted quickest to bundle the ball over the line from close range – a five-star performance capped fittingly by the man wearing number five.

The intensity and tempo dipped after the 70-minute mark, though Palace continued to monopolise possession and, in truth, the visitors could not get near them. With chances becoming more sporadic, the closing stages provided a welcome opportunity to hand minutes to Khyan Frazer-Williams, Raihaan Anderson and Mylo Bernard.

As the game entered its final third, Bernard was slipped through one-on-one by Anderson but dragged his effort wide of the target. At the other end, Benetton remained largely untroubled throughout, a fact underlined by Birmingham winning their first corner only in the 77th minute.

The contest had long since been put beyond doubt and, although the Blues offered the occasional warning sign of pulling one back, they never seriously threatened.

With ten minutes remaining, substitute Frazer-Williams intercepted possession and embarked on a marauding run before unleashing a venomous strike from distance that rattled the crossbar. Benamar and Okoli then both saw efforts blocked by desperate defending.

Palace continued to probe in search of a sixth, with Birmingham forced to withstand a succession of shots and crosses. In the dying moments, Martin was denied a hat-trick when he turned in Okoli’s first-time delivery at the back post, only for the assistant’s flag to rule him offside.

The result sees Palace climb to second, level on 27 points with Tottenham but boasting a superior goal difference, while remaining six points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

Palace: Benetton, Judd, Benamar, Walker-Smith (Fasida, 45'), Somade, Okoli, Owoade (Frazer-Williams, 67'), Danaher, Martin, Oduro (Anderson, 67'), Angibeaud (Bernard, 61').

Subs not used: Mason.

Birmingham: Terenowicz, Drammeh, Biol (Hawkeswood, 58'), Campbell, Ranson, Martin-Moore ©, Guernier (Robinson, 49'), Ralph, Degtiarev, Elmansuri (Campbell, 45'), Nunes-Wickham (Hoarau, 75').

Subs not used: Pearce.