U18s report & Highlights: Palace pressure fails to tell as West Brom stun the young Eagles

Summary:

• Javier Alonso makes two changes to the side that beat Norwich, with Jack Mason replacing Lucca Benetton between the sticks, and Benji Casey leading the line, replacing Donte Martin.
• 1 – GOAL: Ryan Colesby stuns Palace and gives West Brom the lead.
• 8: Jasper Judd's inswinging corner is side-footed the wrong side of the post by Benji Casey.
• 13: Antonio Perkins' crucial last-ditch challenge prevents David Angibeaud latching onto Staurt Oduro's well weighted through ball.
• 17: Casey is denied one-on-one by the outstretched leg of Max Barrow.
• Barrow is forced to withdraw from proceedings due to an injury sustained in making the save, defender Charlie Blackshields replaces him between the sticks as the Baggies haven't named a substitute 'keeper.
• 25: Casey's half-volley is parried away by a diving Blackshields.
• The Baggies are unable to get out their own half, but the young Eagles can't make the pressure count.
• 43: Dean Benamar's fizzed effort rattles the outside of the near post.
• HT: Palace 0-1 West Brom
• 48 – GOAL: Harry French doubles West Brom's lead.
• 50: Walker-Smith goes to ground in the box, but his appeals for a penalty are waved away.
• 59: West Brom get their third, Adam Okorodudu.
• 64: Jacob Fasida receives a red card for a late challenge on Abdulhakeem Abudu.
• 72: Jack Mason makes an excellent acrobatic save to deny French's header.
• 79 – RED CARD: Blackshields does well to save Walker-Smith's header low to his left.
• 90 (+2) – GOAL: Chuks Okoli pullls one back for Palace at the death.
• FT: Palace 3-1 West Brom

On the balance of play, the scoreline scarcely reflected Palace’s dominance for long periods. A goal at the start of each half knocked the wind out of the young Eagles’ sails, while Adam Okorodudu’s header put the contest beyond doubt. Jacob Fasida’s dismissal compounded a difficult afternoon, as West Brom claimed their biggest scalp of the season, despite Chuks Okoli’s late strike at the death.

Javier Alonso’s side signed off 2025 in scintillating fashion, claiming a statement 4-2 victory away at Southampton to remain top of the U18s Premier League South – level on points and goal difference with Chelsea.

West Brom, meanwhile, had shown marked improvement this season. After finishing bottom of the division last term, the Baggies had already surpassed last season’s win tally just over halfway through the 2025/26 campaign. Two of their four victories had come against last season’s top two, Arsenal and Aston Villa, underlining the challenge that faced the young Eagles.

Javier Alonso made two changes to the side that defeated Norwich City 4–2. Jack Mason came in between the sticks in place of Lucca Benetton, while Benji Casey returned to lead the line, replacing Donte Martin. On the bench, Ajean-Ray Greaves took the place of Raihaan Anderson, with Makai Bernard-Ferguson ruled out through injury.

Disaster struck inside the opening minute as West Brom took an early lead through Ryan Colesby, who continued his goalscoring form after netting in the Baggies’ 4–3 FA Youth Cup victory over AFC Bournemouth.

Palace looked to respond immediately from the restart and came close when Chuks Okoli volleyed narrowly over the bar from inside the penalty area.

As the half wore on, the momentum steadily swung in Palace’s favour and sustained pressure began to build on the West Brom backline. Benji Casey side-footed wide from a Jasper Judd inswinging corner, before Alonso’s side unleashed a barrage of deliveries into the box.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, the young Eagles initially struggled to turn dominance into clear-cut chances.

Palace came agonisingly close midway through the half when Antonio Perkins produced a vital last-ditch challenge to deny David Angibeaud, sliding in as the forward swung at Stuart Oduro’s perfectly weighted through ball. Moments later, Casey was sent clear through the middle and did well to stay on his feet under pressure, but was denied in a one-on-one by the outstretched leg of Max Beddow.

In making the save, Beddow unfortunately sustained an injury that forced him to withdraw from the match. With no substitute ‘keeper named, midfielder Charlie Blackshields was pressed into action between the sticks, and after a lengthy delay, play eventually resumed. It goes without saying that we of course wish Max a speedy recovery.

Palace quickly resumed their onslaught. Okoli clipped a clever ball over the defence and Casey’s resulting half-volley was well parried by the diving Blackshields, before Oduro saw two close-range efforts blocked in quick succession by a sea of green and yellow shirts.

The visitors were pinned deep inside their own half, with Walker-Smith heading over from another Judd corner as the pressure mounted.

West Brom continued to weather wave after wave of Palace attacks. Casey again raced in behind but a heavy touch allowed Blackshields to gather, while Alonso cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side laid siege to the visitors’ goal.

The Baggies did muster their first effort since the opener late in the half, though the shot sailed high over Mason’s crossbar.

Palace were inches away from a deserved equaliser on the stroke of half-time when Angibeaud brilliantly turned his marker and drilled a ball across the face of goal, only for Benamar to fizz his effort against the outside of the post.

Despite Palace’s dominance, West Brom remained dangerous on the break, and after a lengthy period of stoppage time, the hosts went into the interval trailing by a single goal.

A few minutes after the restart, West Brom doubled their advantage as dangerman French rifled a fierce effort in off the post.

Palace almost hit back immediately when Walker-Smith embarked on one of his trademark marauding runs into the penalty area, only to go to ground under a sliding challenge. The referee waved away Palace’s appeals for a penalty and instead harshly booked the defender.

The young Eagles continued to dominate possession, pinning the Baggies deep inside their own half, but were unable to turn pressure into reward as the visitors dealt resiliently with a stream of deliveries into the box.

On the hour mark, Adam Okorodudu extended West Brom’s lead with a flicked header, and the contest began to slip away from Palace.

In response, Donte Martin – who had scored in the final game of 2025 against Norwich – was introduced in place of Angibeaud. Matters soon worsened, however, as Jacob Fasida was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Abdulhakeem Abudu, reducing Alonso’s side to ten men.

Just after the 70-minute mark, Mason produced an excellent acrobatic save, springing high to push away French’s header. At the other end, Casey continued to be frustrated, firing straight at Blackshields after the stand-in ‘keeper had spilled, before sliding another effort into the side netting moments later.

Blackshields then produced another impressive stop for a makeshift ‘keeper, diving low to his left to deny Walker-Smith’s header. Despite enjoying the majority of possession and lengthy spells on the ball, Palace were struggling to find a way through a resolute Baggies defence.

In the closing stages, Jasper Judd drilled a free-kick from a promising position into the wall as Palace continued to push, with goal difference potentially important. In stoppage time, Okoli finally pulled one back for Palace, his deflected effort finding the net to give the hosts a deserved consolation.

The result sees Palace drop to second level on 24 points in the U18s Premier League South, with Tottenham, while Chelsea move into top spot on 27 points with two games in hand.

Attention now turns to the FA Youth Cup, where there will be hopes the young Eagles can return to winning ways when they travel to face Newcastle United in the fourth round on Thursday, 22 January.

Palace: Mason, Walker-Smith, Benamar (Lamidi, 45'), Fasida, Somade, Okoli, Judd ©, Danaher, Casey, Oduro (Greaves, 77'), Angibeaud (Martin, 59').

Subs not used: Whitworth, Bernard.

West Brom: Beddow (Gompe, 24'), Abudu, Round, Blackshields, Perkins (Asomugha, 66'), Shaw, Maughan ©, Colesby, Okorodudu, Mcneil (Dexter, 67'), French (Iqbal, 77').

Subs not used: Jackson.