Report & Highlights: Danaher double downs the Baggies

Summary

• Two changes with Muwana and Whyte in for Somade and Drakes-Thomas

• 2: Brownlie wins a free-kick and strikes the wall

• 7: Hill makes a good stop to deny Onyemachi

• 29: Hill makes another routine stop to deny Maughan

• 34: Benamar’s effort is saved by Brady

• 37: Casey also sees a shot saved by the West Brom ‘keeper

• HT: WBA 0-0 Palace

• 48: Brownlie nearly sets up Casey with a surging run

• 54 - GOAL: Danaher opens the scoring with a great strike

• 67: Judd flashes a dangerous ball across the face in search of a second

• 73: Palace almost work a second goal from a great corner kick routine

• 76: Judd sees a shot parried away after a great ball from Whyte

• 78 - GOAL: Danaher strikes once more to double the lead

• 82: Whyte almost nets a third after run through the middle

• FT: WBA 0-2 Palace

Looking to keep the pace with the sides around them at the top of the Under 18 Premier League South, Crystal Palace U18s travelled to the West Midlands to take on West Bromwich Albion in their final away game of the season.

There were two changes to the side which narrowly lost out to fellow title-chasers Chelsea, with Tyler Whyte and Joshua Muwana coming in for Joel Drakes-Thomas and Sean Somade.

Muwana was making his first appearance after recovering from a hamstring injury that had kept him out since November.

There were chances for either side in the opening exchanges, with Palace threatening from a free-kick early on and West Brom testing Marcus Hill, setting a pacy tempo.

Despite this, the game quickly became a cagey affair, with both sides cancelling each other out and being limited to efforts from distance as the initial stages of the first-half played out.

Palace’s best attempts came through Benji Casey and Dean Benamar, though goalkeeper Louis Brady was equal to them to keep the scores level. The Baggies meanwhile tested Hill once more through Alfie Maughan, though his effort from 20-yards was easily dealt with.

The second-half left a lot to be desired, especially with Palace looking to push on at the top of the table.

A quick turnaround saw Palace start the second-half brightly. New signing Rylan Brownlie went on a surging run through the middle of the park, beating three West Brom players, but his effort to set up Casey for a tap in was cut out in the nick of time.

Palace continued to build on their early second-half momentum and managed to break the deadlock 10 minutes in. Euan Danaher netted his first goal of the season with a stunning strike inside the box, reacting quickest to a corner that was cleared away.

His precise effort gave Palace a goal their second-half performance deserved and the young Eagles were quickly in search of more. Half-chances and skewed attempts came and went, while the Baggies couldn’t really get out of their own half.

The final quarter of the game saw chances aplenty for Palace, all of which were close to securing a two-goal cushion. Jasper Judd, captaining the side for the first time, combined well down the right hand side with Whyte and managed to get a dangerous ball across the face of goal that was unfortunately not met by anyone in Eagle Yellow.

Another well-worked move from a corner, taken by Jacob Fasida and orchestrated by Kai-Reece Adams-Collman and Danaher almost saw the ball forced in, however the hosts’ defence recovered in time to clear it.

The second goal for the south Londoners did come eventually, with just over 10 minutes left on the clock. It was almost a carbon copy for Danaher, again capitalising on a ball that wasn’t properly dealt with from a corner and rifling in another sweet strike to give Palace a two-goal cushion.

In the time that remained, the young Eagles were in complete control as Whyte came close to adding a third. West Brom looked to threaten for a consolation very late on, but Hill had little to worry about.

Victory for Palace means they return to the top of the league, a point clear of Southampton and two clear of Chelsea - both of whom have two games in hand.

The young Eagles will host London rivals Arsenal in their penultimate game of the season on Thursday, 17th April. This game will be broadcast LIVE on Palace TV+ - click HERE for more info.

WBA: Brady (GK), Maughan, Letlat, Dauda (Cherchi, 60), Abudu, Dupont, McDonald, Bythell, Ranger (Francis-Caesar, 50), Colesby (Okorodudu, 68), Onyemachi.

Subs not used: Moses (GK), Deeming.

Palace: Hill (GK), Judd, Benamar, Danaher, Muwana, Fasida, Whyte, Adams-Collman (Osei, 86), Casey (Montjen, 86), Brownlie (Martin, 79), Henry (Okoli, 60).

Sub not used: Whitworth (GK)