Report & Highlights: Palace ease past Wolves to make International Cup semi-final

Summary

• Powell makes four changes to the side that drew with Leicester

• Devenny swings an early free kick over the bar

• Chimoze is played through on goal, but Whitworth smothers his attempt

• Imray gives Palace the lead 15 minutes in

• Whitworth saves Barnett’s free kick

• Palace almost find their second through Farquhar, whose header rattles the crossbar

• HT: Palace 1-0 Wolves

• Wolves start the second-half brighter and look dangerous on the counter

• Kaleta volleys over early on in the second-half

• Imray grabs his second, lobbing Jeacock to double the advantage

• Wolves send players forward, but are unable to find a way to halve the deficit

• Mathurin tucks away the third, after running at an exposed defence

• FT: Palace 3-0 Wolves

• Palace progress to the Premier League International Cup semi-finals

After a 1-1 draw in their Premier League 2 clash with Leicester City last week, Crystal Palace Under-21s hosted domestic opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarter-final of the Premier League International Cup.

Darren Powell made four changes to last Monday’s side, with Jake Grante, Danny Imray, Victor Akinwale and Jadan Raymond all coming in for Kaden Rodney, Joe Sheridan, Chris Francis and Luke Plange.

Palace got the first sight of goal within the opening five minutes of the match. Raymond was fouled a handful of yards outside of the Wolves penalty area, which resulted in Justin Devenny curling the resulting free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.

Wolves responded quickly as Leon Chiwome latched on to a long through-ball inside the Palace box, though he was denied by an onrushing Joe Whitworth, who reacted quickly to smother the threat.

After a short, cagey period where the two sides sounded each other out, Palace found the breakthrough in the 15th minute mark following a fine team move.

In a counter-attack that was launched by Whitworth, Jack Wells-Morrison fed Roshaun Mathurin on the left flank.

The midfielder checked back on to his right foot before whipping in a cross that was met by Imray, who slipped in front of his defender to bring the ball down and poke past Zach Jeacock in the Wolves goal.

The visitors attempted to answer swiftly and forced Whitworth into action again, getting down low to his left to stop Ty Barnett’s free kick from a similar range to Devenny’s earlier effort.

Palace maintained their good start, however, and continued to put Wolves under pressure. In the third of a flurry of corners, Farquhar rose highest to meet Mathurin’s delivery, with the defender’s header crashing off the underside of the bar as the Eagles came within inches of doubling their lead.

Centre-back Alfie Pond headed just wide for Wolves later in the half, but the visitors found chances hard to come by and headed into half-time a goal down.

Wolves emerged from the break the brighter of the two sides. Marvin Kaleta found room on the right-hand side and his cross found Aaron Keto-Diyawa, who volleyed over from close range.

The visitors posed most of a threat on the counter, with Noah Watson stepping up to break up an attack led by Kaleta 10 minutes into the second half.

Though Wolves were generally in control of possession after the interval, the hosts extended their advantage 66 minutes in. Wells-Morrison played a neat first-time pass over the top to Imray after Palace picked the ball up in midfield.

Jeacock came charging out of the Wolves goal but Imray got there first, lobbing the ‘keeper from outside the box to secure his and Palace's second.

Palace were content to absorb pressure after doubling the lead, with Wolves throwing players forward as they sought a way back into the game.

With Wolves committing players up the pitch, Palace took advantage of an exposed defence and grabbed a third.

Grante, making his debut for the Under-21s, won possession back and fed substitute Adler Nascimiento, who returned to the squad having been sidelined by an injury since August.

The ball found its way to Imray – at the centre of many of Palace’s ventures forward – who played in Mathurin in acres of space. Mathurin took the ball into the box, squared up his defender and fired past Jeacock to wrap things up.

The win sends the Eagles into the semi-finals of the International Cup for the second successive season. Powell’s side will face either Everton, PSV Eindhoven or West Ham United in the last four.

Palace: Whitworth (GK), Imray (V. Williams, 90), Grante, Farquhar, Watson, Reid, Devenny, Wells-Morrison, Mathurin, Akinwale (Nascimento, 70) (Francis, 90)), Raymond (Trialist, 84)

Subs not used: Izquierdo, Agbinone, S. Williams.

Wolves: Jeacock (GK), Kaleta, Ojinnaka (Tipton, 75), Pond, Hubner, Griffiths, Whittingham, Esen (Holman, 70), Barnett, Keto-Diyawa, Chiwome.

Subs not used: Amos, Mabete, Rees, Ashworth, Edozie.