U18s Report & Highlights: Palace bow out of PL Cup after late Villa winner

The Young Eagles had given everything in pursuit of the victory required to top Group C and secure a quarter-final place.

Raihaan Anderson opened the scoring before Villa were reduced to 10 men in the first half, giving Palace a platform to push for the decisive result.

The hosts dominated large spells after the interval and came agonisingly close to finding a winner on several occasions.

However, they were ultimately punished in stoppage time, as Villa struck on the counter-attack to bring Palace's title defence to an end at the group stage.

Summary:

• Alonso makes three changes, with a trialist, Mulvenna and Anderson replacing Benetton, Shittu and Kalembo.
• 4: Villa 'keeper appears to handle outside the area, but appeals are waved away.
• 10: Trialist produces a strong save to deny Moss.
• 12: Last-ditch challenge denies Anderson a one-on-one.
• 14 – GOAL: Anderson converts the rebound after his initial effort is cleared off the line.
• 19 – GOAL: Bindley heads Villa level.
• 22: Martin is denied one-on-one by Oakley!
• 32 – RED CARD: Atkins is shown a straight red card.
• 37: Greaves fires across goal; Martin is denied from point-blank range.
• 44: Doughty's free-kick takes a deflection and narrowly misses the post.
• HT: Palace U18s 1-1 Aston Villa U18s
• 55: Mulvenna finds the net, but is flagged offside.
• 58: Martin drives narrowly wide of the far post.
• 66: Martin's effort is blocked inside the area.
• 72: Bernard-Ferguson's curling effort is denied by Oakley's outstretched boot.
• 75: Trialist makes an important save to keep Palace level.
• 82: Bull's thunderous effort from range rattles the crossbar!
• 86: Orebowale drags his effort wide of the far post.
• Five minutes of added time are signalled...
• 90+4 – GOAL: Bindley snatches a dramatic late winner for Villa.
• FT: Palace U18s 1-2 Aston Villa U18s
• The Young Eagles exit the U18 Premier League Cup.

Having extended their unbeaten run to five games with a 1-1 draw at Brighton, Palace knew victory was essential to top the group, secure a quarter-final place and keep their title defence alive.

Javier Alonso made three changes, with Lucca Benetton and Nat Kalembo absent after being named in the matchday squad for Thursday's Europa League clash with Hoffenheim. Trialist and Raihaan Anderson came into the side, while Alfie Mulvenna partnered Hugo Bull at centre-back in place of the suspended Remi Shittu.

At a foggy Palace Academy, the Young Eagles made a bright start, with Makai Bernard-Ferguson causing the Aston Villa defence early problems through his trickery and dangerous deliveries into the box.

Inside four minutes, Donte Martin chased a ball over the top and appeared to have caught the onrushing Villa 'keeper outside his area. However, despite Palace's appeals for handball, the referee waved play on.

The visitors soon enjoyed a spell of pressure of their own. On 10 minutes, Villa's inswinging corner was initially cleared, but only as far as Lennon Moss, whose well-struck effort drew a strong save from trialist.

Palace responded through Anderson, who drove into the area before a crucial last-ditch challenge denied him being clear away on goal. The forward would not have to wait long to make his mark, though.

Fourteen minutes in, Anderson was played through on goal and lifted the ball over the advancing Rhys Oakley. His initial effort was cleared off the line, but he reacted quickest to convert the rebound and put the hosts ahead.

Villa restored parity five minutes later, when Bindley rose highest to meet a whipped cross from the right, guiding his header just beyond trialist.

Martin almost put Palace back in front midway through the half after Anderson brilliantly threaded him through on goal, but his one-on-one effort was struck straight at Oakley.

It had become increasingly clear that Alonso's side were looking to exploit the pace of Bernard-Ferguson, Martin and Anderson in behind the Villa defence. However, Oakley was quick off his line throughout, effectively operating as a sweeper to snuff out the threat before Palace's forwards could get in behind.

The game took a dramatic turn when Clay Atkins was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge on Bernard-Ferguson. There was little hesitation from the referee, who dismissed the Villa defender within an instant!

Eager to capitalise on their numerical advantage, the Young Eagles almost immediately fashioned an opportunity to regain the lead. AJ Greaves fired across the face of goal, but the onrushing Martin was denied from point-blank range by an excellent save from Oakley.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Villa arguably looked the more dangerous side during the closing stages of the half, although Palace continued to find promising positions in the final third.

On the stroke of half-time, the hosts were given a let-off when Jake Doughty's free-kick from just outside the area took a wicked deflection off the wall and trickled narrowly wide, leaving trialist rooted to the spot.

The referee soon brought an eventful first half to a close, with the sides level at the break and all to play for!

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Villa showed little intention of sitting back, with both sides knowing a draw would do little to serve their ambitions.

Palace needed all three points to secure their place in the quarter-finals, while Villa also knew victory was essential to their hopes of progressing, with Nottingham Forest leading Leeds United in the group's other fixture at that stage.

The Young Eagles began to turn the screw and thought they had regained the lead in the 55th minute. Alfie Mulvenna brought Dotun Lamidi's miscued half-volley under control to the left of the area before keeping his composure to find the far corner, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Martin then drove a low effort narrowly wide of the far post as Palace continued to press for a breakthrough.

Excellent footwork from Lamidi created another opening shortly afterwards, as he cut inside and delivered into the danger area, but Martin could not quite get on the end of his inviting cross.

With Villa increasingly entrenched in a compact defensive shape, Alonso turned to his bench midway through the half, introducing fresh attacking options in Toby Williams and Malik Tejan as Palace searched for the decisive goal.

The Young Eagles continued to probe, with the connection between Bernard-Ferguson and Baah down the left causing Villa plenty of problems. Bernard-Ferguson was then slipped through by Jacob Fasida, but his curling effort from a tight angle was kept out by the outstretched boot of Oakley.

Further substitutions opened the game up, and Kayden Moses almost made an immediate impact, carrying the ball into the penalty area from the right before unleashing a powerful effort which the Villa 'keeper tipped over the crossbar.

From the resulting corner, Baah and Hugo Bull both tried their luck, but neither could seriously trouble Oakley.

Bernard-Ferguson thought he had finally found a way through after a neat Palace move, turning the ball into an empty net, only for the offside flag to deny the hosts once more. At the other end, trialist produced an important close-range save to keep the scores level.

Then came the moment that looked destined to send Palace into the quarter-finals with ten minutes left until time.

Bull connected superbly with a strike from distance, sending an absolute rocket crashing against the crossbar. The rebound dropped invitingly into the path of Williams, but the substitute could not react quickly enough to turn it home.

It was agonisingly close for the Young Eagles, who had come within inches of a potentially decisive winner.

Villa threatened at the other end moments later, but their forward dragged an effort wide after getting in behind the Palace defence.

Five minutes of additional time offered one final opportunity for Alonso's side to find the breakthrough. Mulvenna saw an excellent header kept out acrobatically by Oakley, while Tejan went down inside the penalty area and had his appeals for a spot-kick waved away.

However, with Palace committing bodies forward in search of the winner, Villa broke at pace in the dying moments. Bindley, who had cancelled out Anderson's opener in the first half, completed his decisive contribution by finding the net late on to snatch victory for the visitors.

It was a cruel conclusion for the Young Eagles, whose spirited performance and second-half pressure ultimately counted for nothing as their U18 Premier League Cup title defence came to an end in the group stage.

Alonso's side now have the international break to regroup before returning to league action against Bournemouth on Saturday, 21st November. That fixture will be available to watch live on Palace TV+.

Palace U18s XI: Trialist (GK); Lamidi (Moses, 76), Bull, Mulvenna, Greaves (Greaves, 65); Fasida, Williams, Lee (Jordan, 73); Bernard-Ferguson, Martin (Tejan, 62), Anderson (Williams, 62).

Subs not used: Fox, Campbell.

Aston Villa U18s XI: Oakley, Atkins, Pinnell, Mudame, Mitchell, Moss, Doughty (Orebowale, 80), Lloyd (Kellyman, 87), Hammond (Adediran, 62), Bindley, Smithen (Melhuish, 45)

Subs not used: Houston.