Report & Highlights: Sensational second-half comeback sees Palace beat PL2 leaders City

Summary

• Three changes as Cardines, Ola-Adebomi and Rodney return to the side

• 3: Mustapha fires over the bar after great work from Umeh

• 11: Moulden makes a great stop to deny Lawrence

• 30 - GOAL: City take the lead via Simpson-Pusey

• 34: Ola-Adebomi’s looping header is palmed away

• 42 - GOAL: Mubama makes it two for City

• 44: Cardines sees an effort saved by Whatmuff

• HT: City 2-0 Palace

• 46 - GOAL: Cardines strikes immediately after the restart

• 47: Mustapha’s effort from distance almost levels it within a minute of Cardines’ goal

• 52: Moulden saves Mubama’s effort

• 64: Palace threaten from corners and deny City’s breakaways

• 68 - GOAL: Mustapha levels with a great strike in off the post

• 74: Heskey and Samuels’ efforts are blocked in the box by the Palace defence

• 82: Grante’s effort following a corner is charged down

• 90+2 - GOAL: Reid wins it for Palace with an excellent strike on the edge of the box

• FT: City 2-3 Palace

Almost two weeks on from the 2-2 draw with London rivals Arsenal, Crystal Palace Under-21s were back on the road as they travelled to face Manchester City in their penultimate away game of the league phase.

There were three changes to the side which drew with the Gunners, with Rio Cardines, Kaden Rodney and the in-form Ademola Ola-Adebomi returning to the squad in place of Caleb Kporha, Cormac Austin and first-team player Matheus França.

There wasn’t much to choose from between the two sides in the opening 20 minutes. Hindolo Mustapha had Palace’s best chance early on, firing over the bar following great build-up play down the left hand side by Franco Umeh, while Louie Moulden saved Emilio Lawrence’s curling effort.

A simple ball over the top halfway through the first-half from skipper Luke Browne found Ola-Adebomi in behind, though his shot on was blocked by a recovering City defender.

The hosts then took the lead on the half-hour mark, with a ball over the top of their own. Max Alleyne delivered it and City captain Jahmai Simpson-Pusey managed to get on the end of it to open the scoring.

Palace weren’t disheartened after going a goal down, they pressed for an immediate equaliser. Ola-Adebomi saw a looping goalbound header palmed away, after getting on the end of a Rodney cross inside the box.

Minutes later, Marsh almost capped off a scintillating move in the final third, but the forward was adjudged to be offside. In spite of the Eagles’ best efforts, they were made to rue their missed chances as City added a second through Divin Mubama.

The Premier League 2 Player of the Month for February got on the end of a Jaden Heskey square ball across the box to poke home from close range.

Again, Palace weren’t going down without a fight, as Cardines almost took things into his own hands to pull a goal back on the stroke of half-time. The wingback went on a surging run down the right-hand side and cut into the middle, though his shot was saved by Whatmuff.

Cardines started the second-half as he ended the first, with attacking intent, and this time it counted. Umeh and Marsh did well initially to keep a Moulden ball down the left hand side alive, with the former picking out an unmarked Cardines to smash Palace’s first goal back in off the bar within 30 seconds of the restart.

The Eagles were almost level within a minute of halving the deficit, as Mustapha pounced on a loose ball after City’s restart. The Palace No. 10 drove forward and fired a fierce effort that hit the supporting stanchion of the goal.

Momentum was heavily in Palace’s favour in the opening moments of the second-half following Cardines’ equaliser and Mustapha’s effort, though City did threaten with chances of their own. Mubama’s effort from distance was well saved by Moulden, while Lawrence couldn’t get on the end of a well-worked move to finish into an empty net.

As the game past the hour-mark it was still up for grabs, with both sides knowing the importance of the next goal. Palace threatened through a succession of corners that were ultimately dealt with, while City’s breaks and attacks were snuffed out by resolute Palace defending.

With just over 20 minutes to go, the equaliser Palace deserved for their efforts came. Browne pushed up from the back to intercept a loose ball, diverting it into the path of Mustapha.

The Sierra Leone international worked his way towards goal, holding off a challenge, and fired a precise effort in - through the legs of multi-million pound January signing Vitor Reis - off the post from the edge of the box.

After equalising the Eagles had to contend with a bout of City attacks. Efforts from Heskey and Lakyle Samuel were thankfully dealt with by the astute Palace defence - making critical blocks from their strikes inside the box.

Jake Grante saw an effort of his own blocked inside the box, after the ball fell to him following the second phase of a corner, as the game headed towards the final 10 minutes.

In the first of six minutes of time added on, Palace finally managed to get themselves in front - and in some style. Mustapha’s perfectly-timed press on Simpson-Pusey saw him win the ball back and it broke into the path of Dylan Reid.

Reid took two touches to work it out from under his feet, finding himself in space to get a shot away from 20-yards out and he made absolutely no mistake - firing it low down into the bottom corner past a helpless Whatmuff in the City goal.

A late, late, chance from Man City’s Christian McFarlane was headed over the bar as Darren Powell’s side managed to hold on through the remainder of time added on, to secure a vital three points against the Premier League 2 leaders.

The result means Palace move up to 5th place, level on points with Chelsea and have all-but mathematically secured a PL2 play-off place.

City: Whatmuff (GK), Samuel, Alleyne, Reis, Naylor (McFarlane, 80), Simpson-Pusey, Henderson-Hall (Muir, 90+8), Heskey (Gray, 81), Mubama, Bobb, Lawrence.

Subs not used: Brits (GK), Okeke.

Palace: Moulden (GK), Cardines, King, Grante, Browne, Reid, Umeh (Gibbard, 90+5), Rodney, Ola-Adebomi (Musanhi, 90+5), Mustapha, Marsh (Derry, 75).

Subs not used: Austin, Eastwood (GK).