U18s Report: 10-man Palace out of U18 PL Cup

Summary

• Rob Quinn made four changes to the side

• Marley Wilson put Leeds ahead two minutes in

• Junior Dixon levelled for Palace in the 17th minute

• Lleyton Brown restored Leeds’ lead just before the half hour mark

• Brown added another 34 minutes in

• Luca Thomas scored Leeds’ fourth a few minutes later

• Vonnte Williams was shown a straight red card just before half-time

• Half-time: Leeds United 4-1 Crystal Palace

• Freddie Bell hit the bar from close range shortly after the restart

• Adler Nascimento pulled one back for Palace just before the hour mark

• Leeds scored a fifth through Charlie Crew with 15 minutes remaining

• Brown hit the bar in the 84th minute

• Full-time: Leeds United 5-2 Crystal Palace

After coming from behind to draw 2-2 against Fulham in the league last weekend, the young Eagles travelled to face Leeds United in their final group game in the Under 18 Premier League Cup.

He made four changes to the side which drew with Fulham with Laurie Shala, Kalani Barton, Freddie Bell, Junior Dixon coming in for Jackson Izquierdo, Caleb Kporha, Zach Marsh and Asher Agbinone.

The hosts got off to the perfect start, as Marley Wilson scored two minutes in from close range. The winger latched on to a mis-hit shot from Max McFadden following a well worked Leeds move down the left hand side.

Palace looked to respond immediately and Junior Dixon did have the ball in the back of the net 10 minutes later, though it was ruled out for offside.

Dixon did manage to level for Palace shortly after seeing his initial goal chalked off. He held the ball up well down the left hand side and managed to find Vonnte Williams, the left-back broke into the box and fed Basilio Socoliche who flicked it towards Dixon for an easy finish.

Leeds managed to restore their lead 26 minutes in through Lleyton Brown. Shala made an excellent save initially to deny Luca Thomas’ effort on goal, though the rebound fell kindly for an onrushing Brown who scored with a first-time effort.

Brown secured his brace and Leeds’ third just after the half hour mark. Dan Toulson’s cross from near the byline fell into Brown’s path and he found the bottom corner with an outside of the foot effort.

Thomas got his name on the scoresheet just moments later, adding Leeds’ fourth from the second phase of a corner. Charlie Crew scooped the ball over the Palace defence and managed to find Thomas who slotted home inside the box.

Just before half-time, Palace’s Vonnte Williams was shown a straight red card following a bad challenge.

Results elsewhere meant that Palace were bumped down to second place in Group D as it stood at half-time, with Sheffield United topping the group with one better goal difference than Palace.

With that in mind, Palace came racing out the blocks after the restart, knowing that winning the second-half would see them through.

Captain Bell nearly clawed one back for Palace five minutes after the restart, but he saw his effort from inside the six-yard box cannon back off the crossbar after Dixon managed to square the ball across.

Palace managed to get a goal back just before the hour mark through Adler Nascimento. Joe Gibbard won the ball inside the Leeds half and drove towards goal, playing Dixon in with a great through ball. The striker cut the ball back across the face of goal and managed to pick out Nascimento who powered it into the roof of the net.

Though it was 4-2 to the hosts, Palace were going to top the group and qualify for the next round on goals scored. However, with 10-men, it wasn’t to be as Leeds notched a fifth goal with 15 minutes remaining.

Charlie Crew fired an effort on goal which took a big deflection off of second-half substitute Caleb Kporha, before nestling in the bottom corner of the net past a stranded Palace defence.

Brown, searching for a hat-trick, nearly secured it late on with a speculative long-range effort which bounced back out off the crossbar.

After four minutes of time added on, the referee blew his whistle to bring an end to proceedings. The result means Palace finish second in Group D and will not qualify to the next round of the U18 Premier League Cup as the best second-place side.

Leeds United: Mahady (Ombang, 10), Diboe (Dawber, 87), Toulson, Coleman, Debayo (Cresswell, 45), Buchan, McFadden (Vincent, 81), Crew, Thomas, Brown, Wilson.

Sub not used: Chadwick.

Crystal Palace: Shala, Barton (Agbinone, 68), Grante, Jemide, Williams, Bell (Marsh, 79), Gibbard, Mustapha (Cardines, 45), Socoliche (Kporha, 45), Dixon, Nascimento.

Sub not used: Hill