Report & Highlights: Five fantastic first-half strikes sink Spurs

Summary

• Three changes to the side saw Mofe Jemide, Tyler Whyte and Jake Grante come in to the squad

• Marsh puts Palace ahead 5 minutes in

• Palace double their lead eight minutes later through Whyte

• Ajayi pulls one back for Spurs in the 18th minute

• Two minutes later, Lehane equalises for the hosts

• Williams reclaims the lead just before the half-hour mark

• Marsh adds Palace’s fourth 33 minutes in

• Marsh completes a first-half hat-trick just before the break

• HT: Spurs 2-5 Palace

• Almost a fourth for Marsh straight after the restart

• Eastwood pulls off fine stops to deny Spurs

• George King heads just wide for Palace

• FT:  Spurs 2-5 Palace

After the 3-3 draw with Arsenal at Copers Cope last weekend, Crystal Palace Under-18s travelled to north London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the U18 Premier League South.

Head coach Rob Quinn made two changes to the side which drew with the Gunners, with Mofe Jemide, Tyler Whyte and Jake Grante coming in for Charlie Walker-Smith, Matteo Dashi and Jesse Derry.

Palace got off to a bright start and managed to take the lead in the opening five minutes. A quickly taken free-kick from Cormac Austin spotted Hindolo Mustapha in space and he in turn picked out Seb Williams.

Williams on the edge of the box saw his shot blocked, though it looped up into the path of Zach Marsh and the Palace No. 9 made no mistake to slot home across the onrushing ‘keeper.

The young Eagles wasted no time in doubling their lead, as Tyler Whyte headed home from a corner just eight minutes later. He was left unmarked, as he raced towards a delightful ball in from Austin from a corner, and diverted the ball goalwards with ease.

Spurs reacted and managed to halve the deficit a few minutes later. Tyrese Hall skipped past two Palace challenges to make his way into the box and managed to square it across the box for Damola Ajayi to finish.

The hosts then managed to draw level just two minutes after halving the deficit. Ellis Lehane found himself in the right place at the right time to tap in from close range, after Oliver Irow’s cross from the left-hand side wasn’t dealt with.

Things were only level for seven minutes before the young Eagles managed to reclaim the lead. A ball down the left from Jemide picked out Rio Cardines out by the byline and the Trinidad and Tobago U17 international’s first-time cross was met on the volley by Williams inside the box.

Remarkably, Palace restored the two-goal cushion they had five minutes after reclaiming the lead. A combination of Cardines and Austin won the ball back in midfield before working it towards Mustapha.

The Palace No. 10 shifted it across the box and fed Marsh, who was unmarked in the box, for a first-time finish on the inside of his right boot.

Just before half-time, Marsh added Palace’s fifth and secured his hat-trick. A defence-splitting through ball from Kai-Reece Adams-Collman was played in for Marsh to run onto.

Marsh took a touch to divert it past the onrushing Carey Bloedorn, who was 10 yards outside his box, and slotted in from range for his fourth hat-trick of the campaign.

After the restart, Marsh was causing havoc for the Spurs defence and almost had a fourth, though his effort was cleared off the line. Whyte also saw a close attempt saved by Bloedorn.

Spurs tried to find a way back into the game, though their attempts were quashed by strong defending and goalkeeping from the young Eagles. Adams-Collman threw himself into blocking a goalbound effort from Damola Ajayi, while Billy Eastwood denied Hall at his near post.

In the 66th minute, a floated ball in from a Whyte free-kick picked out substitute Dashi inside the box. He took it down and struck a strong effort on goal, though it was saved by Bloedorn.

Palace managed to see out the remainder of the half with relative ease, claiming all three points from the lilywhite part of north London. The result sees them move up to sixth place in the U18 PL South, six points behind leaders Fulham.

Spurs: Bloedorn (GK), Black, M. King, Chaplin, Egan-Riley (James 45), Hall, Ajayi, Morgan (Adewole, 70), Lehane, Akhamrich, Irow.

Subs not used: Archer (GK), Logan, Orr.

Palace: Eastwood (GK), Grante, Jemide (Dashi, 30),G. King, Cardines, Adams-Collman, Austin (Cowin, 90+5), Mustapha, Whyte, Marsh, S. Williams (Redhead, 85).

Subs not used: Khoshaba (GK), Elliott.