Report: Palace top EFL Trophy group with win over Gillingham

Summary

• Powell makes five changes to the side which drew with Reading on Friday

• 7: Devenny has a free-kick saved by Ashby-Hammond

• 9: Kporha runs half the length of the pitch forces a save and Umolu fires narrowly wide

• 16: Jemide does incredibly well to deny Wakeling’s effort on the line

• 25: Umolu heads in the breakthrough goal

• 27: Umolu almost has a quickfire double, but his effort is saved

• 39: Palace double the lead as Umeh pokes in from a corner

• HT: Gillingham 0-2 Palace

• 52: Mustapha adds a third for Palace shortly after the restart

• 63: Devenny fires narrowly over the bar after great build-up player

• 76: Wyllie turns and shoots narrowly wide for Gillingham inside the box

• 80: He pulls one back for the hosts with 10 minutes remaining

• 84: Agbinone wins a penalty and steps up to take it, but his effort is saved

• 90+4: Kporha and Marsh both have chances late on to add a fourth

• FT: Gillingham 1-3 Palace

Four days on from the 1-1 draw with Reading in the Premier League 2, Crystal Palace Under-21s were back in action as they travelled to face the first-team side of Gillingham in the EFL Trophy.

Darren Powell made five changes to his side, with Rob Holding, Seán Grehan, Caleb Kporha, Franco Umeh and Asher Agbinone coming in for Jake Grante, Luke Browne, Joe Sheridan, Adler Nascimento and Zach Marsh.

Despite Gillingham having the home advantage and vocal support of their crowd at Priestfield, Palace got off to a better start and had the upper-hand throughout the first-half.

Captain Justin Devenny had a sighter early on, seeing a free-kick saved by Luca Ashby-Hammond. Caleb Kporha went on a surging run from inside the Palace half, beating four players before the ball broke to Jemiah Umolu who fired narrowly wide.

Gillingham’s best chance of the half came a quarter of an hour in as Jacob Wakeling nearly opened the scoring, but Mofe Jemide did incredibly well to clear his effort away on the line.

Palace found the breakthrough halfway through the first-half as Umolu netted his fifth goal in six games. The striker headed the Eagles in front after getting on the end of an inch-perfect cross from Grehan out on the right.

He nearly doubled his and Palace’s tally within a minute, though Ashby-Hammond managed to parry away his effort on the breakaway.

The Eagles did manage to find a second just over five minutes before the break. A Devenny corner was floated in and headed back across by Grehan into the path of Umeh who managed to poke it past Ashby-Hammond with a first-time effort.

After the breaks the hosts did enjoy a bit more of the ball and early pressure in the half, but the elusive third goal went to Palace.

Pressing from the front, Hindolo Mustapha won the ball back from Shad Ogie on the edge of the box and the midfielder managed to rifle in the third with little pressure around him.

A fourth looked on the cards for the Eagles as the excellent build-up play near the hour-mark saw Devenny fire narrowly over the bar, while down at the other end Gillingham’s search for a consolation was led by Marcus Wyllie as he turned and shot wide inside the six-yard box.

Wyllie did manage to pull one back for the hosts with 10 minutes remaining, heading in a cross from the left-hand side after Palace couldn’t properly clear it away.

Though Gillingham pulled one back, Palace dialled up the pressure in the time that remained to firmly put the game to bed. Agbinone was brought down inside the box and stepped up to take a penalty that was ultimately saved, while Kporha and substitute Zach Marsh saw efforts saved to prevent a fourth.

The referee brought an end to proceedings after five minutes of time added on following the Palace penalty and chances, meaning that Powell’s side now move to the top of Southern Group D on goal difference.

A positive result against Peterborough United in the remaining game of the group should see Palace through to the latter stage of the tournament for the first time in the club’s history.

Gillingham: Ashby-Hammond, Hutton (Gbode, HT), Hawkins, Giles, Webster, Little (Waldock, HT), J. Williams (Clarke, 71), E. Williams (Skipper, 82), Nolan (Ogie, HT), Wakeling, Wyllie.

Subs not used: Holtam (GK), Clark.

Palace: Moulden (GK), Jemide, Holding, Grehan, Kporha, Rodney, Devenny, Umeh, Mustapha (Gibbard, 84), Agbinone (Browne, 90+1), Umolu (Marsh, 70).

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Grante, Austin, Nascimento.