Report & Highlights: Point apiece as Spurs hold Palace at Copers Cope

Summary

• Three changes to the side that beat Leicester City last weekend

• 3: The visitors get the first chance of the game

• 11: GOAL- Williams opens the scoring with a spectacular strike from range.

• 23: King comes close with two successive chances

• 37: Osei’s effort whistles past the wrong side of the post

• 42: Feeney’s strike can’t find its way through a swarm of Palace defenders.

• HT: Palace 1-0 Spurs

• 53:** GOAL- Lehane equalises from the spot

• 58: Williams puts an effort just wide of the post

• 64: Williams’ free kick hits the crossbar

• 75: Spurs pile on the pressure, but Palace hold firm

FT: Palace 1-1 Spurs

After beating Leicester City 2-1 away from home last weekend to go top of the U18 Premier League South, Crystal Palace Under 18s were back at home to face Tottenham Hotspur.

Three changes were made to the side with Jerome Osei, Jacob Fasida and Euan Danaher all returning to the starting XI while Jasper Judd, Chuks Okoli and Zack Henry dropped to the bench.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot, with Ronny Moncur’s left-footed shot going wide of the post early on.

After a difficult opening few minutes, Palace started to move the ball around nicely which caused problems for the Spurs defence - Joel Drakes-Thomas on the right-hand side brilliantly beat his man, before putting a chipped cross into the box for Benji Casey who saw his shot at a tight angle saved.

With 11 minutes on the clock, Sebastian Williams opened the scoring with a brilliant strike from outside the box that rifled into the top-left corner.

The captain found space, after Casey won the ball back high up the pitch with a strong challenge, and made no mistake to pick out the top corner for his third goal in four games.

The young Eagles continued to create chances, with George King almost doubling the lead on two successive occasions. The defender's right-footed strike from a tight angle was creeping towards the bottom right corner, but saved by Samual Archer, and then from the resulting corner, his header was also denied by Archer.

With Spurs having regained some control in the game, Fasida managed to create an excellent counter-attacking opportunity with a perfect pass over the top to Osei who attempted to pick out the bottom corner, but his strike went just wide.

On the stroke of half-time, Spurs searched for an equaliser but were denied by a resilient Palace defence. George Feeney’s strike from the edge of the box was smashed into a swarm of Palace defenders who managed to steer the ball clear.

The visitors continued to search for the equaliser at the start of the second-half and they soon found it through Ellis Lehane, who calmly converted from the spot 53 minutes in.

With Tottenham growing into the game, Palace looked to find their first-half momentum. They almost found themselves back in-front when Williams hit the bar with a near-perfect free kick from 25-yards out just past the hour-mark.

Sean Somade found himself in the right place at the right time to block Tynan Thompson’s curled effort, which looked like it was heading for the top corner and then Marcus Hill made a good save to deny Miracle Adewole as the game approached the latter stages.

With five minutes left to play, it looked like either side could have won the contest, as it became very end-to-end, but neither side could create a perfect opportunity for the winer.

Following eight minutes added on, the referee blew his whistle to ensure the points were shared. The draw means that the young Eagles have extended their unbeaten run in the league to four games and currently sit in second place - two points behind leaders Aston Villa.

Palace: Hill (GK), King, Benamar, Adams-Collman, Somade, Fasida, Drakes-Thomas, Danaher (Whyte, 80), Casey (Henry, 65), Williams, Osei (Okoli, 93)

Subs not used: Mason (GK), Judd.

Spurs: Archer (GK), Bangura, Byrne, Logan, Hall (Byfield, 57), Oliver (Myrtaj, 80), Moncur (Thompson, 65), Feeney (Adewole, 57), Lehane, Williams-Barnett, Salter (Elliott-Parris, 80).