Report & Highlights: Palace sweep aside Villa in comfortable victory

Summary

• França starts in return from injury

• 7: Grehan wins it in the final third, but drags a shot wide

• 11 - GOAL: Ola-Adebomi finishes off a great move from back to front

• 31: Cardines sees an effort saved by Emery

• 38: Reid and França see two quickfire efforts stopped

• 45 - GOAL: Palace double their lead on the stroke of half-time through Reid

• HT: Palace 2-0 Villa

• 50: Ola-Adebomi almost nets a second after great work from França

• 52: França’s curling effort is just wide

• 55: Kporha holds off a challenge inside the box and sees his shot saved

• 58: Emery denies Kporha yet again

• 74 - GOAL: Ola-Adebomi notches Palace’s third from the spot

• 81: Marsh almost nets a fourth, but it’s deflected out

• 90: Izquierdo makes a strong save to keep the clean sheet intact

• FT: Palace 3-0 Villa

A week on from the comeback victory away at Stoke City, Crystal Palace Under-21s were back on home soil as they welcomed Aston Villa to the VBS Community Stadium.

There were four changes to the side which beat the Potters, with Caleb Kporha, Rio Cardines, Cormac Austin and first-team forward Matheus França all coming on for Joe Gibbard, Finley Marjoram, Kaden Rodney and Jesse Derry.

The 20-year-old França was returning after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, following a brief cameo appearance against Doncaster in the FA Cup fourth round last week.

Palace were on the front foot early on, with the vocal backing of the support in Sutton on the night, and looked to get their noses in front.

Austin’s dangerous corner somehow evaded everyone when it only needed a touch to take it goalbound, while captain Seán Grehan fired narrowly wide after winning the ball back in the final third.

With just 11 minutes on the clock, Palace made their early momentum count and took the lead. A long diagonal from Grehan was met by Kporha, and the wingback managed to sit his marker down before cutting it across the six-yard box Ademola Ola-Adebomi to flick in effortlessly.

After taking the lead, the Eagles were in search of another to make their early momentum count. Kporha and Ola-Adebomi combined once more, with the latter heading into the palms of Lander Emery in the Villa goal.

Cardines saw an effort from the edge of the box saved half an hour in, after being picked out by an excellent ball from Hindolo Mustapha. Dylan Reid also stung the palms of the ‘keeper, following great work from França in the build up to win the ball back in the final third.

On the stroke of half-time, Reid managed to double the lead with his first ever goal for the club. He pounced Todd Alcock’s heavy touch and raced forward with the ball, striking an effort on his right foot into the bottom corner on the edge of the box.

The Eagles went into the break with a deserved two-goal cushion and came racing out the blocks in the second-half in search of more.

França was at the heart of all the efforts early on in the second-half. Ola-Adebomi couldn’t quite get a clean shot away, after the Brazilian played it into him following a fast break.

He then had an effort of his own, cutting in from the left hand side and attempting to curl an audacious effort in from about 25-yards out, which ultimately went just wide of the mark.

Kporha then took the reins from the other side of the pitch, forcing Emery into multiple saves. He was first denied from inside the box, after finding space in behind, before latching onto a great through ball from Mustapha just minutes later with the same outcome.

França was brought off on the hour-mark as planned, aiding his recovery, and Zach Marsh was brought on in his place. Marsh then won a penalty just over 10 minutes later.

Ola-Adebomi stepped up from the spot, as he did in the previous outing against the Potters, and duly fired home despite Emery diving the right way - securing a second brace in as many games and Palace’s third.

Marsh then spearheaded the Palace attacks late on and came close to netting a fourth, though his effort deflected out for a corner from a tight angle.

Villa’s best attempt of the game came just before the clock ticked into stoppage time, with Jackson Izquierdo making a strong save to deny Aidan Borland and keep the clean sheet in tact.

Victory for Palace means that the side move up to eighth place in the Premier League 2, level on points with rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. The top 16 sides will progress to the knockout phase of the league in April.

Palace: Izquierdo (GK), Kporha (Marjoram, 60), Grante, Browne, Grehan, Reid, Cardines (Gibbard, 75), Austin, Ola-Adebomi (Derry, 87), Mustapha (Williams, 75), França (Marsh, 60).

Villa: Emery (GK), Rowe, Taylor (Hemmings, 63), Katsukunya, Amundsen-Day, Alcock (Fortes, 63), Pierre, Borland, Cotcher, Jimoh-Aloba (Edwards, HT), Pavey (Brannigan, 63).

Sub not used: Lewis (GK).