Crystal Palace Under-18s surrendered a two-goal lead as in-form Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to win 4-2 in the U18 Premier League South on Saturday morning at a sun-drenched Academy.
Palace took a commanding two-goal lead through a Donte Martin brace after a competitive first half, but Tottenham responded strongly after the break.
The visitors halved the deficit from the penalty spot on the hour before striking twice in quick succession to turn the game around, adding a late fourth as the Young Eagles pushed hard for a leveller.
After a flying start to 26/27 with victory at West Ham, the Young Eagles had suffered three straight defeats, but improved performances in losses to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa offered encouragement ahead of Spurs’ visit.
Javier Alonso made three changes, bringing Thiago Speroni – son of club legend Julian Speroni – into the XI for his first competitive start of 26/27, alongside Nat Kalembo and Seb Bonsu-Amako. Lucca Benetton, Remi Shittu and Jamar Lee dropped out.
On a sun-drenched afternoon at the Academy, the opening exchanges were evenly contested, with Palace looking to press high and force an error from the visitors. Spurs goalkeeper Mikel Jack was equal to the challenge, repeatedly finding a way through the Young Eagles’ waves of pressure.
Five minutes in, dangerman Oliver Boast chased a lofted ball in behind, but Speroni was alert to race from his line and sweep up. His clearance ricocheted off the onrushing No.9, but fortunately for Palace, the ball diverted towards a white shirt.
Moments later, Tottenham appealed for a penalty, but their claims were waved away before Martin was flagged offside at the other end as he looked to race through on goal.
The pendulum was beginning to swing towards the visitors, who were moving the ball well and enjoying more of the possession. Ten minutes in, it had developed into a cagey opening, with neither side able to establish a foothold.
Having weathered a sustained spell of Tottenham pressure, Palace came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, only to be denied by the heroics of 15-year-old 'keeper Jack.
Dotun Lamidi’s whipped cross almost presented Donte Martin with a simple finish into an empty net, but the danger was cleared before Raihaan Anderson forced Jack into a fine diving save.
AJ Greaves then created space to shoot on the right side of the area and drove towards the near post, but Jack again intervened, tipping the effort over the bar. From the resulting corner, a pinball spell ensued inside the Spurs box, though nobody could apply the finishing touch.
In see-saw fashion, Tottenham soon regained the ascendancy as the game passed the 20-minute mark, with Palace players throwing themselves in front of a succession of shots and crosses before Conall Glancy fired over.
Midway through the half, it had already been a thrilling contest!
Palace had enjoyed a five-to-10-minute spell as the better side, but the momentum had shifted once more, with Tottenham beginning to take control.
The visitors were finding ways through and creating openings, with Joel Vidal-Philbert forcing a turnover before driving down the left channel and firing into the side netting.
Spurs had been wasteful in front of goal, although Palace’s defensive organisation was playing a major part in limiting the quality of their chances.
The Young Eagles continued to offer a threat of their own, though. Jacob Fasida launched a long throw into the area which eventually found Lamidi, whose powerful strike was charged down.
Then, all of a sudden, Palace countered at pace. The ball was worked out to Greaves on the right, and the winger drove forward before whipping a delicious cross towards Martin. His initial header was miscued, but the striker stayed alert to fire low and hard into the back of the net and give Palace the lead on 37 minutes.
Three minutes later, the Young Eagles had doubled their advantage – with Martin again at the heart of it. Having won a penalty, the striker stepped up and, with a cool stuttered run-up, sent Jack the wrong way from the spot to spark jubilant scenes heading into the break.
Tottenham came flying out of the blocks after the restart, determined to halve the deficit. Cayon Hanson headed a deep free-kick wide at the back post before Phoenix Offiah’s low effort from the right side of the area was brilliantly tipped behind by the diving Speroni.
The Young Eagles had chances of their own in a frantic, end-to-end opening. Kayden Moses latched onto a lofted pass in behind, shrugged off his marker and raced through on goal, but with only Jack to beat, his effort grazed the post.
Palace continued to threaten, with a succession of shots and crosses blocked as they looked to extend their advantage.
The pendulum soon swung back towards Spurs, who began applying heavy pressure and piling on the set pieces. The Young Eagles stood firm, though, until Boast – Tottenham’s main attacking threat – met a curling cross at the back post and headed over the onrushing Speroni.
Palace looked to have survived another scare when Alfie Mulvenna hooked the ball away before it could trickle into the side netting. Moments later, however, the referee pointed to the spot following a collision between Speroni and Boast, despite both players having received treatment.
Boast stepped up and made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Speroni the wrong way to halve Tottenham’s deficit as the game approached the hour mark.
Midway through the half, Alonso was urging his side to push higher up the pitch, with Palace increasingly pinned back as Tottenham searched for an equaliser. Despite their pressure, Spurs were struggling to create clear-cut openings.
On 70 minutes, Alonso bolstered the midfield, introducing Under-16 Arthur O’Keefe for the more attacking Moses.
Moments later, Palace had a golden opportunity to restore their two-goal advantage. A swift counterattack created a three-on-two, with Martin squaring the ball across to Anderson. Lamidi was free in space to his left, but Anderson opted to shoot and saw his effort blocked.
It proved a costly miss...
Tottenham struck twice in quick succession to turn the game on its head. Boast drove down the right before flashing the ball across the face of goal, where Vidal-Philbert converted at the back post. Moments later, Oluwatitojumi Wellspring produced an audacious effort from distance which flew into the bottom corner.
With Palace now chasing the game, Alonso introduced forward Toby Williams in search of a late leveller.
The Young Eagles threw everything forward, with a number of pinball-like scrambles inside the Spurs box, but Jamar Lee, Williams and Greaves were unable to find a way through.
Martin then threaded Williams through on goal, but the substitute dragged his effort wide from a tight angle.
Palace’s attacking intent inevitably left gaps at the other end, and Spurs capitalised. The post was rattled before Boast followed up to extend the visitors’ advantage, completing a decisive afternoon for Tottenham’s dangerman.
Four minutes of additional time followed, with Spurs continuing to probe for a fifth, before the referee brought proceedings to a close. The Young Eagles had fought hard but ultimately fell to a 4-2 defeat against league toppers Tottenham in the U18 Premier League South.
There will be an opportunity to return to winning ways next Saturday, when the Young Eagles travel to Arsenal’s Sobha Realty Training Centre (KO: 11:00 BST) – a game you can watch live on Palace TV+.
Palace XI: Speroni (GK); Monk, Mulvenna, Kalembo (Shittu, 76); Lamidi (Lee, 76), Fasida, Bonsu-Amako (Williams, 80), Greaves ©, Anderson, Martin, Moses (O’Keefe, 69).
Subs not used: Modev, Baah, McDonald.
Tottenham Hotspur: Jack (GK); Sandiford, Jobling (Beckles, 86), Olajide, Hanson ©, Wellspring, Salter (Offiah, 45), Glancy (Coffi-Smith, 72), Boast, Muslika (Agyekum, 84), Vidal-Philbert (Evans, 90+4)
Subs not used: Doran, Philogene-Bidance.