Report & Highlights: Spoils shared as Palace draw with Leicester

Summary

• Quinn makes five changes to the side, handing a debut to Montjen

• 12: Montjen almost finds the opener early on

• 14: Omobolaji scores for Leicester

• 18: Casey’s diving header goes wide of the mark

• 26: Mason saves Otchere’s acrobatic effort

• 34 - GOAL: Benamar levels for Palace with a well-taken strike

• 40: Walker-Smith’s header is just tipped over

• 45+1: Mason makes a good stop to deny Hutchinson

• HT: Palace 1-1 Leicester

• 57: Leicester are down to 10 men as Gray is shown a straight red

• 58: Williams’ free-kick following the red is just turned behind

• 73: Casey nets for Palace, but it’s ruled out for offside

• 81: He then heads narrowly heads over the bar

• 90: Palace have it in the back of the net, but it’s ruled out for a foul on the ‘keeper

• FT: Palace 1-1 Leicester

Following on from the international break, Crystal Palace Under-18s were back in action as they welcomed Leicester City to Copers Cope

Head coach Rob Quinn made five changes to the side which faced Liverpool in the U18 Premier League Cup, with Jack Mason, Dean Benamar, Euan Danaher, Tyler Whyte and David Montjen all came in for Marcus Hill, Freddie Cowin, Joshua Muwana, Zack Henry and Jesse Derry.

Montjen, on his debut at U18s level, nearly got his name on the scoresheet 12 minutes in. A long ball over the top from Mason found Benjamin Casey, and the striker squared it for Montjen who fired narrowly over.

The young Eagles were made to pay by not converting that opportunity, as former Academy scholar Laolu Omobolaji netted the opener for Leicester from inside the six-yard box.

Palace almost responded within five minutes of going behind, as a whipped ball in from George King found a diving Benjamin Casey, though his header was wide of the mark.

Mason was called into action to prevent Leicester doubling their lead near the half-hour mark. An acrobatic effort following a throw-in from Kirsten Otchere was dealt with by the Palace shot-stopper.

An equaliser eventually came through Benamar in the 34th minute. A pinged ball across the pitch from skipper Seb Williams found the left-back out wide and he drove into the box.

Untroubled by the Leicester defence around him, he managed to rifle home a fierce shot on his left foot to draw Palace level in his third start for the U18s.

There was one big chance apiece for either side before the interval. Charlie Walker-Smith saw his header at the far post tipped over by Harry French in the Leicester goal, while Mason did well to stop Lorenz Hutchinson from converting after an excellent move from the visitors.

The opening exchanges after the break were cagey, with neither side wanting to lose a foothold in the game. That was all turned on its head as Leicester captain Kevon Gray was shown a straight red after he brought Casey down as the last defender on the edge of the box.

Williams struck the resulting free-kick which was turned behind by French. Though the Foxes were down to 10, they continued to stay in the game. Casey looked as though he had put Palace ahead with just over 15 minutes remaining, but it was ruled out for offside.

Casey was again at the forefront of the Palace attacks, heading narrowly over the bar after a great delivery on the left hand side from second-half substitute Enrique Lameiras.

It wasn’t to be as the two sides played out eight minutes of time added on. Palace did manage to have the ball in the back of the net once again from a corner, but it was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper French.

The result means Palace remain in ninth place in the U18 Premier League South, a point behind Leicester and two ahead of Chelsea.

Palace: Mason (GK), King, Benamar, Danaher (Osei, 83), Somade, Walker-Smith, Whyte, Williams, Casey, Dashi (Lameiras, HT), Montjen (Henry, 73).

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Adams-Collman.

Leicester: French (GK), Diallo, Khela, Lawrence, Adeji, Gray, Owusu, Dyke, Hutchinson, Otchere, Omobolaji.

Subs: Daniels, Stretton (GK), Aideed, De Lisle, Toko.