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      U18s Report: Mansfield Town 2-2 Crystal Palace (Palace win 6-5 on pens)

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      Crystal Palace U18

      Paddy McCarthy's youngsters progressed into the next round of the FA Youth Cup with a victory against Mansfield Town after a penalty shoot-out.

      Having been drawing 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after extra-time, Palace required penalties to edge past Mansfield Town in the FA Youth Cup third round, with Tariq Mitchell netting the winning spot-kick for Paddy McCarthy’s side.

      The first goal of the night at the home of the League Two side came after just 15 minutes when Brandon Oddy’s header came back off the crossbar and Joseph Hungbo reacted quickest to the loose ball to put the visitors ahead from close range.

      That was the midfielder’s ninth goal of the campaign, and he nearly moved into double figures soon after when he headed over, and then on 26 minutes Oddy played in Nya Kirby who sent a powerful effort into the side-netting.

      But the Stags improved as the half went on and after Riley O’Sullivan went close twice, a corner was floated over into the box and Aiden Walker equalised despite Kirby's best efforts to hook it clear on the line.

      The second half saw both goalkeepers rarely forced into difficult saves, but in the dying moments Matt Funnell produced an excellent reaction stop to prevent a header going in from a corner, and then at the other end Kirby forced an equally good save from Xavier Sundby with time running out.

      Those stops meant an additional 30 minutes would be needed to separate the sides, andPalace regained the lead in stoppage-time of the opening period when Kirby's cross was met by Tariq Ossai whose superbly headed home, but in the 115th minute Jake Dumbleton slotted the ball home under Funnell to send the game to a shoot-out.

      The first three attempts each went to plan for both sides before Funnell saved from Dumbleton, but then Sundby denied James Daly from 12 yards. However, after Francis Jno Baptiste and Tariq Mitchell tucked home, Iyrwah Gooden fired his penalty over the bar to send Palace into the next round.

      Palace: Funnell, Matthews (Onabhagbe 17), Mitchell, Kirby, Lynch (Baptiste 102), Boateng, Ossai, Robertson, Oddy, Hungbo (Aveiro 58), Daly. Subs not used: Webber, Demby.