Saturday morning saw the opportunity for Rob Quinn’s under-18 side to progress to the semi-finals of the Under-18 PL Cup as they played hosts to Aston Villa at the Palace Academy.
In the last meeting between the two sides, a late George King goal proved to be decisive in a chaotic 3-2 win which ended with Villa playing with nine men.
Quinn’s side went into the game hoping for more of the same, as the season came towards the decisive end with the team still in contention for silverware.
Zach Marsh returned to bolster the attacking options whilst January signing Luke Browne made his debut after arriving from Shelbourne FC. Hindolo Mustapha was unavailable for selection after signing his first professional contract at the club at the end of January, which gave Seb Williams the opportunity for a rare start this season.
Match Action
It was a positive start from the young Eagles who looked to apply pressure onto the visitors early on. Right-back Jake Grante made a brilliant one-two and found himself driving into the box with little pressure, cutting the ball back to Seb Williams who finished confidently to give Palace the lead just eight minutes into the game.
The first half dominance continued for Quinn’s side as the Villa goalkeeper played a ball into midfield that was intercepted well by George King. He showed excellent technique to play the ball first time through to Jesse Derry, and the winger made no mistake as he finished low into the bottom left corner.
The twenty-fifth minute saw an injury for Palace, with new boy Browne going down off the ball. He would be replaced by Freddie Cowin which resulted in a shift of position for Grante, who tucked into central defence.
Villa scored from their first big chance of the game in the thirty-seventh minute but the offside flag denied the strike. As the first half approached its end, Cowin played a perfectly weighted long ball to Marsh, who rolled his man but couldn’t find the finish from a tight angle.
In the forty-fifth minute, Palace countered once more after a terrific sliding challenge from Cowin. He drove forward with the ball and found Marsh once more. His shot deflected high into the air before it fell to Derry, whose first touch played the ball with his right foot into the path of his left, setting himself to smash the volley into the top left corner. The goal gave Palace a 3-0 lead going into halftime.
The second-half continued in much the same vein and Marsh had the ball in the back of the net in sixty-fourth minute but the linesman adjudged him to be offside for the second time in the game.
Agbinone came close as the game entered the final ten minutes, as he manipulated the ball onto his right foot but his effort couldn’t beat the keeper.
The referee called time to a convincing Palace performance which saw them through to the semi-finals of the PL Cup, winning the game by three goals to nil.
Player Ratings
Billy Eastwood (GK) - 7.5
There wasn’t an awful lot of work to be done by the Palace keeper in this game. In fact, he didn’t have a single big save to make. However, his distribution was consistently excellent and he made no errors. A solid performance but he wasn’t tested at all by the Villa forwards.
Jake Grante - 7.5
Grante began the game very brightly and created the first goal with a powerful, strong run down the right hand side before cutting the ball back perfectly to set up the opening goal. The early injury to Browne meant he had to fill in at centre-back alongside Jemide, but he performed well here and prevented the Villa attack from creating any major chances. He’s a player that carries the ball forward well and has shown increasing confidence over the last few games.
George King - 7.5
The signing of Browne means that King can be deployed slightly further up the pitch. He showed great anticipation to intercept the ball for the second goal, whilst being able to capitalise by playing the ball first time into Derry’s feet. It was refreshing to see him deployed in the midfield as he has been slotting in at centre-back a lot this season.
He was strong on the ball again today and demonstrated the same levels of defensive ability that he has all season.
Mofe Jemide - 7.5
Jemide is such a confident young player. He controls the tempo of the game from the back and dictates the attacks consistently. The Villa forwards had very few chances and the overall defensive performance from Palace reflected the defensive standards that Jemide has set all season.
He has a great presence and is as good as flawless on the ball, which again, helps to dictate the beginning of counter attacks and forward thinking play.
Luke Browne - 7
It was extremely disappointing to see Browne go off injured in just the 25th minute of the game. He looked composed and commanding in the minutes he played, showing a confidence to step up the pitch on the ball. Quinn will be hoping that the injury is not a serious one as the early signs from his performance suggest he could be an important player for the under-18s side.
Rio Cardines - 8
Cardines stood out in this game as he demonstrated his ability to attack and defend with equal quality. Villa’s strongest areas are their wingers and Cardines, along with Grante/Cowin did well to contain this threat. He was initially deployed at left-back but was switched to the right-hand side as Browne was withdrawn.
His play is reminiscent of Danny Imray’s in the under-21s, with the same level of energy and perhaps even more defensive ability. Any good team is built on the base of a solid defence, and as the season progresses, it is clear the entire defence is developing.
Seb Williams - 7
It was great to get a chance to see Williams play from the start, as he’s found himself on the bench at times this season. He stepped up to fill the boots of Mustapha, taking his goal with extreme confidence. On lots of occasions this season Williams has played a deeper role and excelled but he demonstrated his attacking abilities in this game.
The attacking midfield spot is another that will be giving Quinn a headache when selecting his best team, with Williams demonstrating how effective he can be in this area of the pitch.
Joe Gibbard - 8
Gibbard can go slightly under the radar amongst this team of exciting attacking players, but it is undeniable the influence and importance he has in this under-18 side. His tenacity and intelligence sees him dominate in the midfield, with a relentless work-rate to match.
He’s also technically brilliant, with a good eye for a pass and strong dribbling ability too. The last few games have seen him shine in the number eight position and he is quickly becoming one of the most influential players week in week out.
Asher Agbinone - 7.5
Asher shows an incredible level of consistency when dribbling, beating his man almost every single time. He came close on multiple occasions, with shots being blocked in the first half before he smashed an effort against the post in the fifty-seventh minute of the game. Despite not being able to find a punishing strike, he demonstrated the elite dribbling ability and attacking threat he possesses.
He also showcased his flair in the first half, when he sat down the Villa defender before crossing the ball with a rabona to Derry, whose attempted bicycle kick went over the bar. This level of confidence has seen the entire forward line in this under-18 side thrive this season, as they are clearly given the licence to go out and express themselves.
Jesse Derry - 9 POTM
Derry continues to be absolutely lethal at this level. He took his first goal really well, finishing low into the near post as he sent the keeper the wrong way. He carried the ball well and caused issues for the Villa defence all game long.
His second goal was a thing of beauty. He took an incredibly delicate first touch with his right foot which set himself up perfectly for the left-foot volley. He struck the ball with perfect technique which saw it curl into the top left corner, leaving the keeper rooted.
He continued his dominance into the second half. In the forty-ninth minute he made space for himself excellently but his driving right-footed effort rebounded off the crossbar. It was yet another excellent performance from Derry as he continues to excel above his age. We’ve highlighted him in much more depth here.
Zach Marsh © - 7
Marsh was heavily involved in the buildup to second and third goals; his pressing ability on display as he forced the error which led to the second goal. Whilst he wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet in this game, he led the line from the front and was a key trigger for the pressing style that Quinn had his team play with.
He caused trouble for the Villa defenders all game long and demonstrated his physicality as he continues to show that his height is not a hindrance to his overall play. He was unfortunate to be denied by the offside flag when he was played through on goal in the second half but showed the standard level of composure to finish.
Subs:
Freddie Cowin (25th min sub) - 7.5
Cowin came on with a big hole to fill following Browne’s early injury. However, he couldn’t have done much more as he put his stamp on the game early on with an excellently timed sliding tackle in the box which led to the counter attack for Derry’s second goal.
Cowin has been short of game time this season but demonstrated the depth of this squad and the quality that all of the players possess. He was confident when on the ball and took players on with consistent success. He’ll be hoping this performance earns him more of a look in over the next games.
Matteo Dashi (78th min sub) - n/a
Kai-Reece Adams-Collman (78th min sub) - n/a
Caleb Redhead (86th min sub) - n/a