U18 Report & Highlights: Youthful Palace hold firm to earn hard-fought point against Brighton

Summary:

• Alonso makes four changes to the side that drew with Fulham as Jacob Fasida, Seb Bonsu-Amako, and Stuart Oduro come into the side.
• 10: The visitors are enjoying the lion's share of possession in the early stages, but are yet to forge a clear-cut chance thanks to our defensive resolve.
• 14: Stuart Oduro drifts inside to sting the palms of the 'keeper, before Chuks Okoli fires over on the follow-up.
• 17: Raihaan Anderson’s bicycle kick sails over, while Khyan Frazer-Williams side-foots straight down the ‘keepers throat.
• 20: Despite Brighton's territorial dominance, Palace are the team in the ascendancy here, having called Liam Doyle into action several times.
• 27: Younes Ibrahim flashes over the free-kick.
• 29: Lucca Benetton preserves parity by denying Henry Kasvosve one-on-one, before an alert Hugo Bull scrambles clear.
• 40: Frazer-Williams deceives his marker and pulls the ball back to Oduro, who side-foots into the defender close-range.
• 43: Mylo Bernard whips a strike wide.
• HT: Palace 0-0 Liverpool
• 50: Judd's inswinging corner sees pinball ensue, before Bonsu-Amako hooks the ball back into the box and Angibeaud wins the header, but it's comfortable for Doyle...
• 53: Oduro twists and turns before seeing his lashed strike denied by a diving Doyle.
• 60: Ibrahim twists and turns before striking low and hard towards Benetton’s near post.
• 65: Palace’s short free-kick attempt is nullified as Fasida driven into a sea of yellow shorts.
• 74: Judd clears Jacob Parsons miscued effort off the line.
• 85: Brighton rattle the frame of the goal.
• 87: Frazer-Williams drives into the space down the left channel and sees his shot cannon off the bar.
• Six minutes added on...
• 90 (+4'): Angibeaud's flicked header strays wide.
• FT: Palace 0-0 Brighton

Heading into the tie, Palace had been held to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Fulham in a contest of shifting momentum.

The result extended Alonso’s side’s unbeaten run to five matches, with four wins in that spell, as they continued to challenge on multiple fronts – reaching the Premier League Cup final, the FA Youth Cup semi-final, and remaining firmly in the title race.

They sat third on 35 points, four behind Chelsea and nine off leaders Tottenham, with two games in hand.

Brighton, meanwhile, occupied fourth on 32 points, level with Aston Villa despite playing a game more, and just three points behind Palace. Since the turn of the year, they had recorded four wins, three draws, and two defeats.

Alonso made four changes to the side that drew with Fulham. Jacob Fasida returned from the U21s to replace Daniel Owoade, Seb Bonsu Amako came in for Euan Danaher, Stuart Oduro replaced Raihaan Anderson, while Mylo Bernard was named in place of Donte Martin. Three U16s and two first-year scholars in the starting XI...

We got underway at Copers Cope on what was a beautiful Saturday morning, the sunshine providing a fitting backdrop for a clash between two fierce rivals.

Brighton arrived with a physically imposing side, featuring several players with Under-21 experience, while Palace fielded a youthful line-up made up largely of Under-16s and first-year scholars.

As expected, the Seagulls enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, moving the ball well throughout.

Palace, however, settled into a disciplined low block, showcasing their defensive resolve to frustrate the visitors and restrict them to no clear-cut chances.

Despite Brighton’s territorial dominance, the first real opportunity fell to the young Eagles on 14 minutes.

An intense high press forced a turnover as Brighton attempted to play out from the back, allowing Oduro to drift inside from the right and into the box. His effort stung the palms of the ‘keeper as he looked to squeeze it inside the near post, before Chuks Okoli fired the follow-up the wrong side of the bar.

Moments later, Raihaan Anderson’s acrobatic bicycle kick sailed over, while Khyan Frazer-Williams’ side-footed volley went straight down the ‘keeper’s throat.

The game had suddenly burst into life, with both sides finding rhythm and tempo. Approaching the 20-minute mark, Doyle had been called into action several times, while the Seagulls threatened with quick feet on the break, but without creating anything meaningful.

Midway through the half, the Seagulls had Benetton scrambling for the first time as Younes Ibrahim flashed a central free-kick from 20 yards narrowly past the top-right corner.

As the game moved into its final third, the visitors carved out their clearest opening. Bailey Palmer lifted a ball over the top for Henry Kasvosve to chase, forcing Benetton into an excellent one-on-one save, before Hugo Bull reacted quickly to scramble the danger clear.

At the other end, David Angibeaud did well to turn his marker and fired a low cross across the face of goal, but no one in red and blue was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Following a brief pause in play, Frazer-Williams beat his man and pulled the ball back for the onrushing Oduro, whose close-range effort was blocked by a defender. Shortly before the break, Bernard then whipped a strike narrowly wide of the post.

Heading into half-time, it remained evenly matched, with nothing to separate the two sides.

With the game finely poised, the second half promised much – and it quickly delivered. Five minutes after the restart, Palace mounted a set-piece barrage. Jasper Judd’s inswinging corner caused chaos in the box, with Bonsu-Amako hooking the ball back into danger and David Angibeaud rising to meet it, only to direct a comfortable header into Doyle’s hands.

Frazer-Williams then drove to the byline and nearly caught the ‘keeper out, his cross almost dipping in under the crossbar if not for Doyle’s fingertips.

On 55 minutes, Oduro twisted and turned to carve out space before unleashing a goalbound effort that again forced a sharp diving save.

The pendulum briefly swung back in Brighton’s favour, but despite sustained pressure, breaking down Palace’s resilient backline proved difficult. Ibrahim’s trickery was on full display as he weaved into a shooting position, only to be denied at the near post by Benetton.

Instructions from the sideline were clear – stay organised and weather the storm. “Organise,” urged Alonso, as Palace stood firm against wave after wave of attack, waiting for opportunities to emerge on the counter.

One such chance came from a set-piece, as Bernard was brought down on the edge of the area. Judd played it short to Fasida, whose driven effort cannoned into a sea of yellow shirts. Brighton broke quickly in response, but Benetton was equal to the danger with a fine far-post save.

The visitors continued to threaten, fizzing a dangerous delivery across the face of goal, only for Judd to make a vital intervention and deflect it away from the penalty area. Yet another stoppage followed as both sides fought for control.

Entering the final third, Kasvosve powered down the right flank into the box and squared to Jacob Parsons in acres of space, but Parsons miscued the effort, allowing Judd to scramble clear off the line.

In the latter stages, Alonso turned to his bench to inject fresh legs and inspire a late winner, bringing on Daniel Owoade, Jamar Lee, and Donte Martin.

With five minutes remaining, Palmer delivered an inswinging free-kick. It was cleared, but only as far as the No. 11, who struck again, fizzing the ball across to the near post. A yellow shirt got a touch, but the frame of the goal came to Palace’s rescue – one of those heart-in-mouth moments.

That said, Frazer-Williams came agonisingly close to winning it for Palace driving into the space down the left channel; and beating Doyle but rattling the crossbar.

Given the number of stoppages, five minutes were added on, and the pendulum swung in Palace’s favour. Brighton survived a succession of threatening deliveries into the box, with Angibeaud’s flicked header wide proving the only real chance of note in the added time.

The result sees us remain third on 36 points in the U18 Premier League South, while extending our unbeaten run to six matches. Our U18s now have a much-welcomed two-week break for the international window, before returning to action against Chelsea on 4th April at Cobham.

Palace: Benetton, Judd ©, Frazer-Williams, Bull, Fasida, Okoli, Anderson (Owoade, 81’), Bonsu-Amako, Bernard (Martin, 74’), Oduro (Lee, 81’), Angibeaud.

Subs not used: Shittu, McDonald.

Brighton: Doyle, Outen, Crutchett (Brown, 75’), Alakiu, Ferdinand, Brennan (Anah, 75’), Kasvosve, Palmer, Parsons (Newnham-Reeve, 86’), Ibrahim (Oppong, 63’), Palmer.

Subs not used: Evans.