Report & Highlights: Point apiece as young Eagles draw with Arsenal

Summary

• Quinn makes one change, with Adams-Collman replacing Dashi
• 9: Mason makes a good stop to deny Bailey-Joseph
• 12: He makes another save to stop Bailey-Joseph once more
• 21: Whyte fires across the face of goal
• 35: King and Williams are both denied by Porter in the Arsenal goal
• 38: Casey and Montjen see efforts blocked and narrowly over
• 41 - GOAL: Williams heads Palace ahead after getting on the end of Benamar's cross
• HT: Arsenal 0-1 Palace
• 53: Walker-Smith heads over the bar from close range
• 59 - GOAL: Bailey-Joseph equalises for the home side
• 68: Williams' volley is blocked
• 90: Palace push late on, Adams-Collman sees an effort blocked away
• FT: Arsenal 1-1 Palace

Following a 1-1 home draw with Leicester City last weekend, Crystal Palace U18s were on the road this time for their first of two matches against Arsenal in the space of three weeks.

Head coach Rob Quinn made just one change from the draw with Leicester, with Kai-Reece Adams-Collman replacing Matteo Dashi in midfield.

Palace started on the front foot and won a corner inside the first minute, before Dean Benamar fired a cross straight into the gloves of Jack Porter - an early warning sign of the threat the Palace left-back would pose in the first-half.

However, it was Arsenal who had the first two clear-cut chances of the match, Brando Bailey-Joseph twice being denied by two impressive Jack Mason saves within a matter of minutes of each other.

The young Eagles’ first real sight of goal arrived in the 21st minute. After some brilliant work in the middle of the park by Adams-Collman, the Palace No. 8 played the ball into the feet of Sebastian Williams who found Tyler Whyte, who in turn drove into the Arsenal box and fired narrowly wide.

Louis Zecevic-John found himself one-on-one with Mason after a long ball over the top of the Palace defence in the 28th minute, but the Arsenal forward dragged his shot wide.

From this point forward, Palace dominated proceedings up until the break, with Benamar particularly impressive down the left-hand side for the visitors. His cross into the box was headed over by David Montjen in the 37th minute, while Williams also missed a headed opportunity three minutes later following a wicked Whyte delivery into the penalty area.

However, moments later Palace made their dominance pay as Williams gave his side the lead. Picked out by Benamar with a cross into the box, the Palace skipper made no mistake this time to head the side in front four minutes from the interval.

Arsenal started the second-half with a greater intensity, as they looked to force an equaliser, however it was Palace who almost doubled their lead in the 53rd minute when Charlie Walker-Smith headed over from a corner.

Palace were made to rue this missed opportunity as Arsenal found an equaliser six minutes later. The young Gunners worked the ball across the edge of the box toward Bailey-Joseph, who fired his effort into the bottom left-hand corner in the 59th minute.

Williams went close to scoring a second in the 67th minute. After Benamar’s free kick into the box had been headed back toward the penalty spot, the Palace goal scorer was on hand to volley goalward, though his attempt was blocked by an Arsenal shirt.

The home side went straight up the other end with Bailey-Joseph finding some space in the Palace penalty area, but his ball across the face of goal was cut out by defender Sean Somade.

Palace earned a corner after a lung-busting run from Walker-Smith down the left-hand side. After Arsenal dealt with the initial corner, the young Eagles had a chance to retake the lead from a second corner, but George King’s header was straight into the gloves of Porter.

Arsenal had a chance of their own to take the lead in the 80th minute, but Ife Ibrahim dragged wide from the edge of the box after Bailey-Joseph had picked out his teammate with a cutback.

The south Londoners had an opportunity to claim all three points late on, with a free-kick causing problems for the Arsenal defence. It eventually broke to Adams-Collman, who saw his effort blocked by a scrambling Arsenal shirt.

While both sides looked to push forward in stoppage time, neither was able to fashion a clear-cut opening. The two teams forced to settle for a point apiece.

The result means Palace slip to 11th in the U18 Premier League South, level on points with Chelsea and Leicester, while being one behind Arsenal.

Arsenal: Porter (GK), Salmon (Onyekachukwu, 73), Ismail, Clarke, Sweet, Ibrahim, Zecevic-John (Oyetunde, 61), Julienne, D. Casey, Copley, Bailey-Joseph.

Subs not used: Ranson (GK), Hashi, Akolbire

Palace: Mason (GK), King, Benamar, Danaher, Somade, Walker-Smith, Whyte, Williams, B. Casey (Osei, 78), Adams-Collman, Montjen.

Subs not used: Hill (GK), Okoli, Lameiras, Muwana.