Two weeks on from the 1-0 win against Ipswich Town, which saw the side progress through to the knockout stage of the Premier League Cup, Crystal Palace Under-21s travelled to the East Midlands to take on Leicester City.
There were five changes to the side which won against Ipswich, with Kaden Rodney, Dylan Reid, Jack Wells-Morrison, Chris Francis and Roshaun Mathurin coming in for Danny Imray, David Ozoh, Jadan Raymond, Franco Umeh and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
The hosts nearly got off to the perfect start in the opening minute of the game, but Joe Whitworth reacted well to keep Oliver Ewing’s fierce effort from close range out with a fine save.
That electric start from the hosts did not materialise into any other opportunities in the opening 25 minutes, as they saw crosses cleared and chances blocked.
Palace’s first real chance of the game came in the 25th minute, where they managed to find the opening goal. Justin Devenny, in his seventh consecutive start, won the ball back in the middle of the park and fed it out wide to Mathurin.
The winger took on his man and put it across the box for a sliding Luke Plange to get on the end of and poke home for his fourth goal in five games.
Though Palace took the lead, they were unable to make it count as Leicester managed to equalise five minutes before the break.
A scooped ball over the top from Silko Thomas found Will Alves on the byline and the forward pressed into the box and managed to find a finish from a narrow angle.
Whitworth was called into action almost immediately after Leicester levelled as a fierce strike from Wanya Marçal looked destined for the back of the net, but the skipper managed to get fingertips to it.
Just before the interval, Mathurin tried a long-range strike that was parried away by Ward. The following corner saw a Francis shot loop into the air, but Ward managed to hold onto it.
In the second-half, the two sides came out in search of a way of getting their noses in front. Joe Sheridan did well to block Thomas’ shot early on in the half, while Mathurin’s dangerous cross across the face of goal couldn’t find a decisive touch.
On the hour-mark, Palace had a golden opportunity to take the lead. Leicester’s Arjan Raikhy slipped in the centre circle, allowing for Plange to pick up the ball and race towards goal.
He played in Mathurin, who made a lengthy supporting run, though the No. 10 couldn’t slot it past Ward after taking a touch on the edge of the box.
The pair combined again with 20 minutes remaining, this time Mathurin slipping Plange in behind, however Plange’s deft finish was ruled out for offside.
Leicester’s best chance of the second-half fell to Brandon Cover, after the ball broke to him on the edge of the box, though Devenny was quickest to react to deny him.
As play approached the final five minutes, Palace defender Joe Sheridan fractured his fibula while landing from a header which required him to be taken to hospital by a dedicated ambulance crew present at the Leicester City training ground.
Without an additional ambulance crew present at the training ground, the remaining time in the fixture could not be fulfilled. The match was concluded as a 1-1 draw after an agreement was reached between the clubs and the Premier League.
Click here for a further update on Joe Sheridan.
Leicester: Ward (GK), Cover, Wormleighton, Cartwright, Godsmark-Ford, Grist, Marçal (Maswanhise, 77), Raikhy, Ewing (Briggs, 66), Alves, Thomas.
Subs not used: Young (GK), Ali, Pennant.
Palace: Whitworth (GK), Rodney, Francis (Akinwale, 65), Sheridan, Farquhar, Watson, Reid (Trialist, 82), Devenny, Wells-Morrison, Mathurin, Plange.
Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Dashi, Agbinone.
