U21s Report: Palace produce statement win over unbeaten Fulham

Summary:

• Darren Powell makes three changes to the side that drew with Middlesbrough, introducing Jasper Judd, Joe Gibbard and Benji Casey to the starting XI.
• 5: Joe Gibbard does enough to unsettle Eddy Nsasi’s glancing header.
• 10: Dean Benamar’s deep delivery evades everyone, including the far post.
• 15: George King denies Dan Casey’s flashed strike.
• There’s been no clear-cut chances for either side yet as the game develops into a bit of a cagey contest...
• 23: Rio Cardines drives down the right channel and lashes the resulting effort over the bar.
• 29: Benji Casey latches onto Benamar's lofted pass in-behind, but can't quite thread through the onrushing Seb Williams
• 30 – GOAL: Zach Marsh lays of Seb Williams, who comes onto the ball, before rifling in off the post from some distance!
• 40 – GOAL: Charlie Walker-Smith's long throw is held up excellently by Marsh, who threads through Cardines, before the wing-back drills the ball into the far corner expertly!
• HT: Palace 2-0 Fulham
• 48: First glimpse of an opportunity in the second 45 goes Palace's way as Casey strikes wide.
• 54: Benamar combines with Marsh, who lays off Williams - again - before the midfielder's side-footed half-volley strays wide...
• 59 – GOAL: Fulham halve the deficit, Brad De Jesus.
• 63: George King's swivelled half-volley from the edge of the area is straight down McNally's throat.
• 68: Marsh arrows a dangerous delivery across the face of goal, but it's just over the heads of everyone in red and blue.
• 70: Casey almost shakes his marker to be one-on-one with McNally, but the defender manages to manoeuvre him away from goal.
• 75 – GOAL DISALLOWED: Tom Olyott has the ball in the back of the net, but it is adjudged offside.
• Seven minutes added on...
• FT: Palace 2-1 Fulham
• We end Fulham's 13-match unbeaten run!

A late Jemiah Umolu penalty earned Palace a 1–1 draw with unbeaten Middlesbrough last time out, lifting the young Eagles to 14th in Premier League 2.

It has been a disrupted start to 2026 for Darren Powell’s side, with postponements interspersed with contrasting results – a 6–0 win over Derby and a narrow defeat at Ipswich. Palace sit on 18 points, level with Aston Villa and Wolves, with games in hand as the play-off race intensifies.

Fulham provided the next test. The young Cottagers began the night third on 29 points –one behind leaders Chelsea – and as the division’s only unbeaten side, riding a 13-match run that included a 5–0 victory over West Ham.

Powell made three changes to the side that drew with Middlesbrough. Tyler Whyte came in for Jasper Judd, while Joe Gibbard returned to the starting XI from injury, replacing Dylan Reid and taking the captain’s armband. Benji Casey led the line in place of Umolu. Mateo Dashi was named among the substitutes, with Caleb Kporha unavailable due to a minor injury.

Possession was evenly contested in the early exchanges, with both sides circulating the ball confidently despite a surface that had clearly borne the brunt of heavy rainfall in recent weeks.

Fulham fashioned the first half-chance when Macaulay Zepa’s whipped free-kick was glanced on by Eddy Nsasi, but Joe Gibbard’s close attention did just enough to unsettle the forward and prevent a clean connection.

Palace responded in kind. Dean Benamar’s deep delivery from the right drifted beyond a cluster of red and blue shirts and narrowly past the far post.

Dan Casey then drove purposefully towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a fierce effort that was bravely blocked by George King.

Clear-cut opportunities remained at a premium, however, and the contest settled into a cagey rhythm, with both sides probing but neither able to truly test the respective ‘keeper.

Midway through the half, Rio Cardines gathered possession and surged down the right channel, creating space for himself before rifling a fierce effort over the crossbar. That opportunity sparked a sustained spell of pressure from Palace, who began to pin Fulham back and delivered a succession of dangerous crosses into the area.

As the half entered its final third, the pendulum began to swing decisively in Palace’s favour. Zach Marsh came agonisingly close to latching onto a ball threaded in behind, only for the goalkeeper to react sharply to clear. That said, the breakthrough soon followed.

Gibbard showed excellent anticipation to force a turnover high up the pitch before finding Casey, who instinctively fed the ball into Marsh. With his back to goal, Marsh displayed composure to lay it into the path of Seb Williams, and the midfielder did the rest – rifling a superb half-volley from distance in off the post, beyond the despairing dive of Alfie McNally.

On the stroke of half-time, Palace doubled their advantage through Rio Cardines. Charlie Walker-Smith’s long throw was expertly cushioned by Marsh, who showed impressive awareness to thread a clever pass into the path of the advancing wing-back.

Cardines took it in stride before drilling a precise effort across goal and into the far corner, beyond the full-stretch dive of Alfie McNally, to send the young Eagles into the interval firmly in control.

The first opening of the second half fell Palace’s way, as Casey drove into the area and struck low and hard from a tight angle, his effort flashing wide under pressure.

Moments later, the young Eagles produced a slick passage of football. Benamar and Marsh combined neatly before the latter teed up Williams once more. The midfielder connected with a side-footed half-volley, but his effort drifted wide.

On the hour mark, Fulham halved the deficit. Macaulay Zepa’s inswinging corner was allowed to run unchallenged to Brad De Jesus, who stabbed home from close range. Buoyed by the goal, the visitors began to apply sustained pressure, issuing a series of warning signs as they looked to capitalise on the momentum garnered.

Midway through the period, George King swivelled and fired a half-volley from the edge of the area, but his effort went straight down Alfie McNally’s throat. Moments later, Marsh delivered a dangerous cross across the face of goal, but it sailed just over the heads of everyone in red and blue.

Casey then came close to breaking free, almost shaking off his marker to create a one-on-one with McNally, only for the defender to shepherd him away from goal. Powell’s side found themselves under considerable pressure in the ensuing passage, surviving a succession of shots and crosses as Fulham looked to claw back an equaliser.

As the match entered the final third, Fulham thought they had found a way back through substitute Tom Olyott, but the goal was ruled out for offside, much to Palace’s relief. In the dying embers, Fulham were pushing hard for a last-gasp leveller, but we maintained our defensive resolve.

The result lifts Palace to 11th in Premier League 2 on 21 points, four clear of the all-important play-off positions as the season approaches its business end.

Confidence will be high as the team looks to carry this momentum into a crucial Premier League International Cup clash against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Wednesday (18th February, 19:00 GMT), once again at the VBS Community Stadium.

Palace: Izquierdo, Whyte, Walker-Smith, King, Gibbard, Cardines (Judd, 72'), Rodney, Marsh, Williams (Dashi, 90'), Casey (Umolu, 72'), Benamar.

Subs not used: Lee, Reid.

Fulham: McNally, de Jesus, Slade, Amissah, Nsasi, Chingwaro, Zepa, Quashie, Wingate, Casey (Olyott, 78'), Ali Wahid.

Subs not used: Kaiser, Konadu-Wall, Cooke, Evans.