U21s Report: Spoils shared as Palace held by Leicester

Summary

• Paddy McCarthy made two changes the side, with Seán Grehan and Victor Akinwale returning in place of Nathan Ferguson and Malcolm Ebiowei

• Owen Goodman saved Chris Popov’s effort inside the box early on

• Popov fired a free-kick just wide half an hour in

• Grehan headed just over after a well worked free-kick routine in the 36th minute

• David Omilabu hit the post from a narrow angle just before half-time

• Half-time: Crystal Palace 0-0 Leicester City

• Grehan headed just wide from a Jack Wells-Morrison corner 67 minutes in

• Ethan Fitzhugh fired just wide for Leicester in the 90th minute

• Full-time: Crystal Palace 0-0 Leicester City

Just four days on from the 1-1 draw at Arsenal, Crystal Palace Under-21s returned to action to host Leicester City at Selhurst Park.

Manager Paddy McCarthy made two changes to the side, with first-teamers Malcolm Ebiowei and Nathan Ferguson making way for Seán Grehan and Victor Akinwale.

The visitors had the better chances in the opening exchanges. Chris Popov stung the palms of Owen Goodman 10 minutes in with a fierce shot inside the box after being slipped in behind by Sammy Braybrooke.

Popov was at the forefront of all of Leicester's attacks. He came close to breaking the deadlock half an hour in from a 25-yard free-kick, however he fired just wide of the post.

The Eagles grew into the game as the first-half wore on and managed to fashion their first major chance of note from a set piece. Jack Wells-Morrison floated in a free-kick, which Kofi Balmer headed back across goal into the path of Grehan, but Grehan couldn’t find the target.

Palace’s best chance of the half came just before half-time through David Omilabu. He was slipped in behind by a quickly taken Killian Phillips free-kick and the forward took a touch and rifled a shot goal bound from a narrowing angle. His effort cannoned back off the post and went out for a goal kick.

In the second-half, neither side could really gather any momentum due to intermittent stoppages for free-kicks and minor fouls. Ronny Nelson headed over from a Leicester corner before the hour-mark.

In the 67th minute, Grehan found himself on the end of another well-worked set-piece, this time from a Wells-Morrison corner, but the centre-half couldn’t direct his header goalwards after towering above the Leicester defence.

It looked like Leicester were on the verge of finding a breakthrough with 15 minutes remaining as Brandon Cover was through on goal, however a last-ditch sliding challenge from Balmer cleanly won the ball back inside the box.

Just before the final whistle, second-half substitute Ethan Fitzhugh dragged an effort from the edge of the box just wide of Goodman’s near post.

After three minutes of stoppage time, the referee signalled an end to proceedings. The result means that Palace are now second on goal difference in the Premier League 2 Division 1, though they have played a game more than leaders Arsenal.

Crystal Palace: Goodman, Imray (Rodney, 59), Balmer, Grehan, Adaramola, Ozoh, Wells-Morrison, Phillips (Mooney, 84), Omilabu, Akinwale (Ola-Adebomi, 59), Gordon.

Subs not used: Izquierdo, Cadogan.

Leicester City: Odunze, Hughes, Brunt, Braybrooke, Appiah, Nelson, McAteer (Flynn, 59), Cover, Popov (Pennant, 65), Alves, Booth (Fitzhugh, 45).

Subs not used: Godsmark-Ford, Doherty.