U21s Report & Highlights: Palace narrowly edged out by Ipswich

Summary:

• Darren Powell makes four changes to the side that thrashed Derby, including a first start of 25/26 for Caleb Kporha.
• 2 – GOAL: Dangerman Tudor Mendel gives Ipswich an early lead.
• 7: Adler Nascimento forces a superb save from Woody Williamson onto the bar.
• 8: George King's towering header is agonisingly wide of the post.
• 10: A defensive error almost lets Zach Marsh clean through on goal.
• 12: Luca Fletcher’s free header skims across goal, and Leon Ayinde’s deflected strike from distance has Izquierdo scrambling.
• 20: A well-worked free-kick sees David Obou flash a flat delivery across the face of goal that Craig Farquhar almost gets on the end of.
• 30: Caleb Kporha and Nascimento both see efforts blocked just inside the box.
• 33: Marsh lashes a low drive at goal, but Williamson makes a smart save.
• 39: Farquhar delivers a teasing ball in behind, Marsh controls well, but Williamson denies him one-on-one with a low stop to his left.
• HT: Ipswich 1-0 Palace
• Jemiah Umolu is substituted on for his first start of 25/26.
• 50: Izquierdo produces a brilliant parry to deny a dangerous flashed strike.
• 53 – GOAL: Ipswich frustratingly double their lead thanks to Ayinde’s fourth goal of the season.
• 60: Jacob Fasida's first-time effort is parried away by a diving Williamson.
• 66: Umolu rounds the 'keeper one-on-one and rattles the outside of the post, before Fasida's follow-up is wide.
• 67: Fletcher goes up the other end and returns the favour, striking the post one-on-one.
• 69: Nascimento grazes the near side of the crossbar.
• 72: Izquierdo races off his line to deny the attacker one-on-one.
• 82: Williamson's stray pass is intercepted by Mustapha, but he can't thread through Nascimento.
• 84 – GOAL: Jemiah Umolu rifles home from close range to halve the deficit and inspire hopes of a late comeback.
• Five minutes of added time are signalled and Palace push hard for a dramatic leveller.
• FT: Ipswich 2-1 Palace

After back-to-back postponements against Nottingham Forest and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Palace Under-21s returned to action in emphatic style on Monday, running out 6-0 winners over Derby County.

The victory lifted the young Eagles to 12th in Premier League 2, level on 17 points with Aston Villa, with a top-16 finish – the cut-off for play-offs and Premier League International Cup qualification – firmly in their sights. There were hopes of carrying this momentum into the weekend trip.

Ipswich Town, meanwhile, were enjoying their maiden Premier League 2 campaign following the award of Category One status.

The young Blues had started strongly, even topping the table at one point, but a run of three consecutive defeats had seen them slip to fifth on 22 points, four behind leaders Manchester United. Nonetheless, it had been an encouraging introduction to life at this level.

Darren Powell made four changes to the side that thrashed Derby, with Mofe Jemide coming in for Chadi Riad at the heart of the defence.

There were alterations at both wing-back positions as Caleb Kporha made his first start of 25/26 in place of Joe Gibbard and Adler Nascimento replaced Dean Benamar, while Seb Williams came into midfield for Kaden Rodney.

The bench was entirely refreshed, highlighted by Jerimiah Umolu’s first U21s matchday squad of the season following his return from loan at Bromley.

Disaster struck inside two minutes as dangerman Tudor Mendel opened the scoring. No.10 Tom Taylor slid a perfectly weighted pass through to Mendel, who drove into the box at pace and fired into the far corner, leaving a diving Jackson Izquierdo with no chance. It was an uphill task from the outset.

After weathering an early Ipswich storm, Palace began to respond. Hindolo Mustapha shrugged off his marker and set up Nascimento, who cut onto his left foot and forced a superb save from Williamson onto the bar. Moments later, Dylan Reid’s outswinging corner found the rising George King, whose header went agonisingly wide.

On 10 minutes, a defensive error almost let Zach Marsh clean through, but a crucial recovery halted him in his tracks. At the other end, Luca Fletcher’s free header skimmed across goal, and Leon Ayinde’s deflected strike from distance had Izquierdo scrambling – it was end-to-end stuff in a lively start.

In the 20th minute, a well-worked free-kick saw Reid find Marsh, who laid it off to David Obou. Obou’s flat delivery flashed across the face of goal, but Craig Farquhar couldn’t get his head to it – so close to the leveller. Despite Palace applying significant pressure, the Tractor Boys continued to pose a threat to Izquierdo’s goal.

As the game entered the final third, the rhythm dipped, but Palace kept pressing for an equaliser. Kporha and Nascimento both saw efforts blocked just inside the box, and the chances kept coming as Mustapha won the ball and teed up Marsh, who controlled and lashed a low, hard shot – only for Williamson to make a smart save with his outstretched boot.

On the stroke of half-time, Farquhar whipped a teasing ball in behind; Marsh controlled it well, but Williamson made a low one-on-one stop to his left, denying Palace a well-deserved last-gasp leveller before the break.

There were two changes at the break for the young Eagles, including Jemiah Umolu making his first U21s appearance of 25/26. Palace emerged with renewed intent after the interval, moving the ball crisply and cleanly, although moments later Izquierdo was forced into a brilliant parry to deny a dangerous flashed strike.

Just as Palace were beginning to build momentum, Ipswich frustratingly doubled their lead on 53 minutes through Ayinde’s fourth goal of the season, delivering a blow to the visitors’ hopes. Powell responded swiftly with further changes, introducing Charlie Walker-Smith and Jacob Fasida – four substitutions within the space of 15 minutes.

On the hour mark, Nascimento slipped Fasida in down the left channel, and his first-time effort towards the near post was superbly parried away, adding to the young Eagles’ growing frustration.

Midway through the half, Williams then slid Umolu in behind, and the forward showed excellent composure to round the goalkeeper, only to see his effort rattle the outside of the post before Fasida’s follow-up flew wide. Ipswich immediately broke at pace, with a backtracking Jemide doing just enough to pressure Fletcher into striking the post in a one-on-one situation.

Palace continued to probe and went close again when Nascimento fired a strike that grazed the near side of the crossbar, before Izquierdo was called into action once more, racing off his line to deny another one-on-one at the other end. The young Eagles were moving the ball well and sustaining pressure, with Ipswich forced to survive wave after wave of Palace attacks.

Despite an intense high press continuing to cause problems, the breakthrough still eluded Palace with ten minutes of normal time remaining, prompting the introduction of Matteo Dashi in a bid to spark a late comeback.

That pressure eventually told, as a deep cross caused pinball in the penalty area and Umolu reacted quickest to rifle home from close range, halving the deficit with five minutes to play.

Five minutes of added time were signalled and Palace pushed hard for a dramatic leveller, with Izquierdo still busy and continuing to impress at the other end. However, the final whistle confirmed a narrow defeat for the young Eagles.

The result sees Palace drop to 15th on 17 points, though they remain firmly inside the top 16. Attention now turns to Monday’s fixture, as the young Eagles look to return to winning ways when Middlesbrough visit the VBS on Monday, 9th February.

Palace: Izquierdo, Kporha (Whyte, 45’), King, Jemide, Farquhar © (Fasida, 58') Reid (Dashi, 78'), Nascimento, Williams, Marsh (Umolu, 45’), Mustapha, Obou (Walker-Smith, 58’)

Subs not used: Umolu, Dashi.

Ipswich: Williamson, Elliot, Boniface, Shabazz-Edwards, Mthunzi, Turner, Mendel (Adebayo, 66’), Carr, Fletcher, Taylor, Ayinde (Pitts, 75’).

Subs not used: Bentley, Lewis, Compton.