Report & Highlights: Resilient Palace fight back three times at Blackburn

Summary

• Three changes to the side in a return to action in 2024

• Markanday puts Blackburn ahead in the second minute

• Raymond responds with a fine finish 12 seconds after the restart

• Imray denied inside the box halfway through the first-half

• Gordon runs half the length of the pitch, but his shot turned behind half an hour in

• Devenny’s fierce drive from outside the box is just tipped over by the ‘keeper

• Whitworth saves and holds onto Ennis’ penalty on the stroke of half-time

• HT: Blackburn 1-1 Palace

• The hosts reclaimed the lead 57 minutes in via Markanday

• Gordon is denied at near point-blank range by the ‘keeper 10 minutes later

• Telalovic hits the post 79 minutes in

• Umeh equalises for Palace with four minutes of normal time remaining

• Mathurin scores directly from a corner at the start of stoppage time, but it’s ruled out

• Blackburn take the lead in the 93rd minute through Telalovic

• Umeh again pulls Palace level in the 96th minute

• FT: Blackburn 3-3 Palace

Almost a month on from their previous outing against West Ham prior to the winter break, Crystal Palace Under-21s travelled to the north west to take on Blackburn Rovers.

There were three changes to the side, with Dylan Reid, Jadan Raymond and John-Kymani Gordon returning in place of Ademola Ola-Adebomi, Jack Wells-Morrison and Seán Grehan. Centre-back Grehan has joined Carlisle United on loan until the end of the season.

Palace got off to the worst possible start, conceding in the second minute of the game from Dilan Markanday. The winger’s effort inside the box just crept in past an outstretched Joe Whitworth.

Though they went a goal behind, Darren Powell’s side responded immediately, scoring 12 seconds after the restart. A swift passing move down the right from Danny Imray and Raymond saw the latter drift into the box and curl a left footed shot into the far corner, past five recovering Blackburn defenders.

A chaotic opening three minutes set the tempo for the game, with chances coming and going at both ends. Imray was denied inside the box after a well-worked move down the right halfway through the first-half, while Yasin Ayari volleyed narrowly wide of the mark for Rovers.

Gordon almost scored a sensational solo effort, winning the ball on the half-way line and charging forward towards goal. He skipped past a challenge and the goalkeeper initially, though as the angle narrowed his effort was turned behind.

The returning No. 9 was at the heart of Palace’s attacks. He combined well with Justin Devenny, playing a quick one-two in the middle of the pitch, though the midfielder’s fierce shot was tipped over the bar by Aynsley Pears in the Blackburn goal.

The hosts were awarded a penalty late on in first-half stoppage time after Whitworth was unfortunately adjudged to have fouled Niall Ennis. The Blackburn forward then stepped up to take the resulting penalty, though Whitworth stood tall before diving to his right to save and hold onto the striker’s effort.

Whitworth’s penalty save meant the scores remained level as half-time loomed, however there was still time for more attacks to play out in the time added on. Palace broke on a counter, but no one could get a decisive touch on Imray’s dangerous ball across the box, whilst Ennis was denied again by an excellent Joe Sheridan challenge.

After the break, the two sides’ frantic pace from the first-half was petered out by delays due to injuries breaking up the play. Blackburn managed to reclaim the lead near the hour-mark as Markanday got his second of the game on an incisive counter-attack.

The Eagles had it all to do once more to get back on level terms and nearly did so 10 minutes later through Gordon. A ball stood up to the far post by Imray was met by the striker, and his header from inside the six-yard box at near point-blank range was met by the fingertips of Pears.

Blackburn had attempts of their own to double their advantage, however Whitworth was on hand to deny Jake Batty at his near post and also had the post to thank as it denied Semir Telalovic 10 minutes from time.

With the game heading towards injury time, Palace ramped up the pressure to equalise and duly did so through Franco Umeh. A long ball out from Whitworth wasn’t properly dealt with by the Blackburn defence and Umeh’s press saw him win it back just past the half-way line.

He charged towards goal, skipped past his marker, opened his body up and calmly slotted in past the goalkeeper as the angle narrowed on his favoured left foot. An outstanding solo effort from the Ireland Under-19 international for his sixth of the season.

Chaos ensued once more as the game trickled into stoppage time. The Eagles looked to have got their noses in front for the first time in the game, as Roshaun Mathurin found the back of the net from a corner, but it was disallowed.

Rovers went straight down the other end a minute later and managed to take the lead for the third time. Markanday had space out wide and worked a ball towards Telalovic. The striker found half a yard and managed to get a shot away and in off the post.

Palace were not disheartened by the late goal for the hosts, instead they pushed on for yet another equaliser. Matteo Dashi, making his first appearance at U21s level fired narrowly wide of the mark, before Umeh popped up again to seal his brace and secure a point for the side in the 96th minute.

Dashi cut the ball back across to the Trialist inside the box, who in turn played it towards Umeh - in a similar position to where he scored Palace’s second - and he made no mistake to bury it home past Pears on his left foot once more.

The referee brought an end to proceedings shortly after Umeh’s equaliser. The result means that Palace remain in 14th place in the Premier League 2, a point behind Chelsea and Manchester United.

Blackburn: Pears (GK), Duru, Chrisene (Gilsenan, 45), Gamble, Edmondson, Markanday, Ayari (Finneran, 56), Ennis (Tyjon, 63), Telalovic, Batty (Haddow, 82), Atcheson.

Sub not used: Khan (GK).

Palace: Whitworth (GK), Imray, Sheridan, Rodney, Watson, Reid (Dashi, 90), Devenny, Raymond, Mathurin, Gordon (Trialist, 77), Umeh.

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK), Francis, C. Eze.