U21s Report: Young Eagles draw at the Hawthorns

Summary:

• U21s Head Coach Darren Powell makes three changes from the win against Spurs, with Joe Gibbard, Tyler Whyte and Joél Drakes-Thomas starting at the Hawthorns.
• 4: A slack pass from Jemide is almost punished by West Brom.
• 17: Okonkwo catches the ball outside his penalty area, but the referee shows a yellow card.
• 24: A well-struck effort from Mandey whistles past the post.
• 35: Agbinone's low drive is saved well by Okonkwo.
• 43: McDonald is unmarked at the back post but he can't get his volley on target.
• HT: West Brom 0-0 Palace
• 68: Drakes-Thomas brings a difficult ball under his spell, and his subsequent strike forces a corner.
• 79: Substitute Bray is found with a clever pass, but the West Brom forward is dispossessed by Browne.
• 83: Dupont overplays and gets tackled by Marsh, but the ball manages to trickle away from the Palace forward.
• 86: Brownlie is put in behind by Williams, but Okonkwo gets down well to save his effort.
• 90: Gibbard is shown red late on.
• 90+3: Chimeziri is left unmarked from a corner, but he can't get his header on target.
• FT: West Brom 0-0 Palace

Despite a late red card for Joseph Gibbard, Darren Powell's U21 side earned a credible draw away at West Brom.

There were few high-quality chances for either side, with both Palace and West Brom struggling to find any real rhythm throughout the game.

That being said, the first-half was not without incident.

A loose ball from Mofa Jemide in the fourth minute almost gave West Brom an early lead, but Miller McDonald couldn't convert the chance.

There was a moment of controversy in the 17th minute, as the Baggies goalkeeper Brian Okonkwo caught the ball whilst being some way outside his penalty area.

Much to the surprise of the Palace bench, the yellow card instead of the red was brandished by the referee.

20 minutes later and the Young Eagles had a strong appeal for a penalty waved away, after Zach Marsh was sent tumbling by Noah Dupont in the West Brom box.

The hosts finished the first-half strongly and almost took the lead on 43 minutes, after a looped cross found McDonald at the back post.

Despite the time and space he found himself in, the forward could not get his effort on target – and so the half ended 0-0.

Quality chances were few and far between in the second-half, as neither team could consistently break down the other.

16-year-old Drakes-Thomas almost opened the scoring for the Eagles on 68 minutes, but his left-footed effort deflected off the defender for a corner.

Substitute Jack Bray could have found the net for the hosts on 79 minutes, but powerful defending from Luke Browne kept it scoreless.

Legs began to tire late in the second-half, and there were chances for both teams to win it in the final minutes.

Two Palace substitutes combined in the 86th minute to almost grab a late winner, as Rylan Brownlie slipped in Sebastian Williams. Despite a cute first touch from Williams, West Brom goalkeeper Okonkwo was equal to the effort and kept the scores level.

There was late drama as Gibbard was shown a straight red card on 90 minutes, after his reaction to a foul from a West Brom defender.

With seconds remaining on the clock and Palace a man down, West Brom had the best opportunity of the game in the 93rd minute.

Dan Chimeziri was left unmarked from a West Brom corner, but, thankfully, the striker could not get his header on target.

A point at the Hawthorns leaves Palace in 11th place in Premier League 2 after two matches, with a trip to Bromley in the Football League Cup awaiting Powell's side on Tuesday, 2nd September.

West Brom: Okonkwo (GK), Nelson, Humphries, Crowther, Diomande (Mohammed, 46), Dupont, McDonald (Chimeziri, 77), Mandey (Bray, 57), Ranger (Mfuamba, 57), Higgins, Ntege.

Subs not used: Brady (GK)

Palace: Lee (GK), Browne, Reid, Nascimento (Williams, 81), Jemide, Gibbard, Grante, Whyte, Marsh, Abginone, Drakes-Thomas (Brownlie, 81).

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Dashi, Walker-Smith