U23s Report: Resilient Eagles fight back twice to share spoils with Everton

Summary

• Paddy McCarthy named a strong side, with Cardo Siddik making his first start of the season

• Palace had a number of chances through Nya Kirby, John-Kymani Gordon and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi in the opening half an hour

• Everton took the lead through Stanley Mills 33 minutes in

• Joe Whitworth made three solid saves before half-time to deny Everton’s attempts to double their lead

• Half-time: Everton 1-0 Crystal Palace

• Ellis Simms turned the ball into his own net after jumping for a corner with Jay Rich-Baghuelou on the hour mark

• Second-half substitute Isaac Price put Everton back in front 67 minutes in

• Rak-Sakyi pulled Palace level once more five minutes later

• David Boateng cleared an Everton shot off the line in the 87th minute

• Full-time: Everton 2-2 Crystal Palace

Over a month on from their last outing in the Premier League 2 Division 1 against West Ham, Paddy McCarthy’s Eagles were on the road to face Everton for their first game of the new year.

There were four changes to the side that took on West Ham last month, with Joe Whitworth returning between the sticks in place of Ollie Webber, Tayo Adaramola in for Noah Watson, Jack Wells-Morrison for Malachi Boateng and Cardo Siddik for Jake O’Brien - who recently secured a loan move to Swindon Town.

The Eagles had the better of the opening exchanges at The Pure Stadium. A number of efforts from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Nya Kirby and David Omilabu outside the box in the first 20 minutes tested Harry Tyrer in the Everton goal.

Palace only threatened from range in the opening half hour, whereas Everton managed to get the breakthrough through Stanley Mills breaking into the Palace box to latch on to a Mackenzie Hunt cross.

The hosts had the momentum as the half wore on, fashioning a number of chances for forwards Mills and Ellis Simms, though goalkeeper Whitworth did brilliantly to deny them. A late double save from the England Under-18 international kept the score at 1-0.

Much like the first-half, Kirby and Rak-Sakyi found themselves at the centre of the action at the start of the second-half. Kirby fired a shot from 20-yards out five minutes after the restart which looked destined to nestle in the top corner after a deflection, but a full-stretch Tyrer denied him.

On the hour mark, Rak-Sakyi forced a corner after squaring up against Ryan Astley down the left. The resulting corner saw Palace draw level as Ellis Simms turned it into his own net, attempting to outjump Jay Rich-Baghuelou.

The south Londoners now had a spring in their step after equalising. Second-half substitute Rob Street nearly scored with his first touch after being played in by Omilabu, but his effort was just narrowly over the bar.

It looked as though Palace had it all to do again after their resurgence was cut short when Everton reclaimed the lead through their own second-half substitute Isaac Price, in the 68th minute, however four minutes later a moment of magic from Rak-Sakyi saw the Eagles level once more.

The winger picked up the ball unchallenged on the edge of the box from Jack Wells-Morrison, dropped his shoulder and rifled home his eleventh goal of the season on his left foot through three Everton defenders and ‘keeper.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, both sides were looking for a later winner. Palace came close through Omilabu, as he skewed a shot agonisingly across the face of goal, whilst David Boateng managed to block an Everton effort off the line.

After three minutes of added time, the referee brought an end to proceedings. The excellent display of character and resilience from the Eagles to come from behind twice earned them a point which sees them remain in sixth place in the Premier League 2 Division 1, level on points with Manchester United.

Everton: Tyrer, John, Hunt, Ashley, Welch, Campbell, Mills (Price 64), Warrington, Cannon, Hughes (Quirk 64), Simms.

Subs not used: Anderson, Leban, Butterfield.

Crystal Palace: Whitworth, D. Boateng, Adaramola, Taylor (Street 62), Rich-Baghuelou, Siddik (Imray 88), Omilabu, Wells-Morrison, Gordon, Kirby, Rak-Sakyi.

Subs not used: Goodman, Thiselton, Steele.