Report & Highlights: Game of two halves sees points shared with Norwich

Summary

• Powell names unchanged side to face Norwich

• 2: Plange hits the bar from a free-kick at a narrow angle

• 8: Mustapha’s fierce half-volley is saved

• 25: Ola-Adebomi smashes the crossbar after a great ball from Wells-Morrison

• 30: Wells-Morrison drags a shot just wide of the post

• 33 - GOAL: Plange finishes from close range

• 37 - GOAL: Plange doubles the lead following great work from Kporha

• HT: Palace 2-0 Norwich

• 53: Moulden is forced into two quick saves to deny Norwich

• 64 - GOAL: Trialist pulls one back for the visitors

• 67: Mustapha sees a shot at the near post turned behind

• 68 - GOAL: Norwich equalise via Trialist

• 75: Norwich’s Aboh nearly puts them ahead

• 83: Derry’s effort is blocked inside the box

• 90+2: Derry fires narrowly wide with almost the last kick of the game

• FT: Palace 2-2 Norwich

A week on from the 1-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the VBS Community Stadium, Crystal Palace Under-21s were back in action as they welcomed Norwich City to Copers Cope.

Head coach Darren Powell named the exact same squad which narrowly lost out last week against Wolves, with Kaden Rodney making a second consecutive start in the middle of the park.

Palace nearly took with barely a minute gone on the clock. Luke Plange’s free-kick from a narrow angle clipped the top of the crossbar while in search of a red and blue shirt.

Hindolo Mustapha also had a chance to put the Eagles ahead early on, firing a fierce half-volley into the palms of the Trialist goalkeeper.

The woodwork was struck once more halfway through the first-half, with Ademola Ola-Adebomi getting on the end of an excellent ball over the top from Jack Wells-Morrison. The No. 9’s effort struck the underside of the bar and bounced back out into play.

Wells-Morrison himself almost had a chance to get his name on the scoresheet, though he dragged an effort just wide of the target following good build-up play down the left.

All of Palace’s dominance paid dividends just past the half-hour mark, as Plange opened the scoring. After an initial cross was blocked down the right-hand side from Caleb Kporha, a second attempt found an airborne Plange to poke home at the far post.

Plange was celebrating once again just a few minutes later as he doubled the lead for the Eagles. Again down the right-hand side, Kporha went on a surging run from inside his own half before cutting it perfectly into Plange for a first-time finish.

A two-goal lead was more than Palace deserved after their first-half performance, however the game was turned on its head in the second-half.

Norwich came racing out the blocks and were on the front-foot trying to find a route back into the contest. Louie Moulden had little to do in the first-half, but was forced into making two top saves early on in the second 45 to deny Brandon Forbes.

The visitors pulled one back just past the hour-mark, with Trialist reacting quickest from a corner to fire in from close range.

Just like how Plange netted twice in quick succession in the first-half, Trialist did the same with an incredibly well-taken finish just four minutes after halving the deficit.

Palace now had it all to do in order to claim three points, though Norwich were still in the ascendancy. Ken Aboh came close to putting the visitors in front with just over a quarter of an hour remaining.

Attempts from second-half substitute Jesse Derry were blocked and wide respectively, while Wells-Morrison fired narrowly over with the last kick of the game.

A point apiece for either side, after strong showings from both in either half, means that Palace temporarily move up to 11th place - ahead of the likes of Arsenal and West Ham United.

Palace: Moulden (GK), Kporha (Cardines, 65), Browne, Holding, Grehan, Rodney (Reid, 65), Umeh (Raymond, 23), Wells-Morrison, Ola-Adebomi (Derry, 79), Mustapha, Plange.

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK).

Norwich: Trialist (GK), Okwumo, Shipley, Djedje, Wilson, Manning, Aboh, Bridge, Trialist (Ogwuru, 82), Roberts (Mundle-Smith, 60), Forbes (Brooke, 82).

Subs not used: Craven (GK), Doy.