Match Review
Crystal Palace’s U21s travelled north on Friday to face Leeds as they looked to continue their winning streak in the Premier League 2. Going into the game, Darren Powell’s side sat 20th in PL2 after a somewhat disappointing start to the 2023/campaign, which has been marred by injuries and defensive instability. 3+ goals were scored in all but one of the young Eagles’ opening fixtures, reflecting both the high-scoring nature of academy football and the gaping holes within the team due to injuries - but to Powell’s relief, those gaps have begun to close.
Leeds went into the game expecting to perform well. They were sat in 12th place ahead of the game, having won 3 and drawn 1 of their opening 7 games. Similarly to Palace, Leeds had also had just one of their games this season see less than 3 goals, suggesting a goal-packed game lay ahead.
The game began with an early spell of dominance for the Eagles, which saw 2 corners and a half-chance from Roshaun Mathurin deflected into an easy save. Leeds fought back however, and by the 10th minute, Joe Whitworth had been called into action to protect his goal, making a brilliant save from a long-range effort.
A third Palace corner in the 14th minute resulted in a headed chance for Seán Grehan who hit the ball into the ground and the Leeds keeper failed to gather the attempt, seeing it spill to Jack Wells-Morrison to poke home from a matter of yards out.
After the goal, Leeds continued to play some fast football but failed to create any major chances. There would be another flurry of corners for Palace as the game approached the 30th minute, the second of which saw a towering leap from Ola-Adebomi who glanced his header into the net via a helpless Leeds defender.
Again, it was Leeds who reacted the strongest after the goal and continued to press and play the same energetic football they’d attempted to employ from the start of the game, drawing a second strong save from Whitworth who got down to his near post well.
Palace’s third big chance of the game came in the 39th minute and their first real sniff from open play. Mathurin did well on the left wing to create the space for a cross which he executed almost to perfection as Joe Sheridan arrived to power his header into the keeper’s gloves.
Shortly after, another inch-perfect Mathurin cross landed straight on Grehan’s head, who found Jack Wells-Morrison at the back post to loop a headed effort back across the goal for his second of the game, and give Palace a 3-0 lead that they would carry into halftime.
The second half saw the hosts change things up with a triple substitution in an attempt to get back into the game, but it was Palace who began the half the stronger side, as Mathurin continued to cause problems down the left-hand side.
Another Palace corner in the 53rd minute led to the ball dropping at the feet of Ola-Adebomi on the line who, completely unmarked, tapped in for his second and Palace’s fourth of the game. And it wasn’t long until the striker’s night would get even better. Directly from the kick-off David Ozoh did excellently to win the ball back and as the ball found its way wide to Tayo Adaramola, he hit a high, looping cross which was met by Ola-Adebomi who powered a header into the back of the net for his hattrick in the 55th minute.
Despite his lanky stature, "Mola" (as he's affectionately known) is proving to be a powerful #9 and his aerial threat is something not often seen at this level. With 9 goals and 3 assists in his last 7 games for the U21s, it would not be surprising to see him secure a January loan move, potentially to a League 1 side. This would offer him the chance to really focus and develop as a centre forward ready for first-team football.
Ozoh was the first player to be replaced by Justin Devenney in the 62nd minute. The remainder of the game missed his control and influence and the things that he does well in terms of balancing the team were highlighted in his absence. This certainly contributed towards into the more open, end-to-end nature of the remaining 30 minutes.
Leeds created a couple of chances following the fifth Palace goal, but nothing that tested Whitworth. The hosts continued to be frustrated by the scoreline as the game became more and more scrappy. Leeds’ biggest chance of the second half came just before the 65th minute as Ebiowei lost possession cheaply and failed to work back, with Whitworth forced into making a good save at his near post. He did well again in the 72nd minute when Reid lost possession as he intercepted Darko Gyabi’s attempt at a squared ball.
Leeds continued to chase a consolation as Whitworth made yet another save from a deflected effort just inside the box. Ebiowei did well to beat his man up the other end but his final decision-making let him down once more, as he looked to get in on the action himself. Just minutes later Palace found themselves on the counterattack with Mathurin, who did exceptionally well to find Devenney in space, who completed the move with a smashing finish in off the post in the bottom right corner. 6-0 Palace.
Leeds’ persistence would pay off in the second minute of added time, where they finally got their goal. 80th-minute substitute Joseph Snowdon finished well to deny Whitworth of what would have been a well-earned clean sheet.
The hosts seemed to lose interest once they had scored their goal. Palace broke through and popped the ball around the defence who looked second best all night. As the ball found its way to Devenney at the back post, he finished comfortably once more as he secured his brace in the 95th minute.
Not long after, the referee blow his whistle and called an end to a fantastic night for Powell’s side. With a 7-1 victory on the road and 13 goals scored in the U21s’ last three games, the result is a massive step in the right direction. The win sees Palace climb to 15th, the top 10 well within reach. As players continue to return to fitness it will be exciting to see how the young Eagles push on, their next league game not coming until the 3rd of December with a trip to Manchester City.
Player Ratings
Joe Whitworth - 9 [POTM]
Simply didn’t put a foot wrong all evening. Very good tip over the bar to keep the scores level in the first 10 minutes. Also made strong saves after Palace fell asleep after scoring the first three goals. Continued to make strong saves and was unlucky not to get a clean sheet. His distribution really shines through with almost every ball he plays making its way to a red and blue shirt.
Danny Imray - 6
Looked solid throughout the game, although tailed off in both focus and stamina towards the end of the game, and was somewhat responsible for Leeds’ consolation.
Sean Grehan - 7
Great block to deny a good Leeds chance, won the initial header for the opening goal too. Showing signs of being a very good player at just 18 years old.
Joe Sheridan - 6
Performed to a reasonable standard defensively, but didn’t have the quality to play out from the back and looked uncomfortable at times in possession.
Tayo Adaramola - 6
Showed creative flair going forward, although there seemed to be a gap between his vision and his technical execution. Picked up a brilliant assist for the best goal of the game, which sealed Mola’s hat-trick. Inconsistent defensively, though.
Malcolm Ebiowei - 6
Ah, Malcolm. The talent is so clearly there - as evidenced by his repeated ability to beat his man - but his decision-making is lacking. On too many occasions he showed moments of flair only to choose the wrong option, resulting in a string of dispossessions and blocked shots. If he can learn to respect the opposition and trust his teammates, he will have a future in the Premier League, no doubt about it.
Dylan Reid - 6
Put his body on the line on occasion to make blocks and defended well throughout the game. His passing was slightly off in the opening moments but he certainly grew into the game and kept things ticking over. Needs to develop further at this level.
David Ozoh - 6.5
A pretty standard David Ozoh performance. He covered ground well and won possession throughout, perhaps most notably in the build-up to Mola’s hat-trick goal. Towered over almost everyone on the pitch and showed his physical dominance in his play. He’s certainly got a bright future at Palace if he keeps on developing at a quick rate.
Jack Wells-Morrison - 7.5
Reacted the quickest for Palace’s first and took his second goal extremely well. Looked solid both in and out of possession for the entirety of the game. An especially positive performance for a player who has only just returned from injury. His leadership and man-management skills have clearly been missed and this has been reflected in the side’s better defensive performances in the last two games.
Roshaun Mathurin - 8
Trialist B, as he’s passionately known, has been nothing short of excellent since joining the academy. To think he’s just recovered from an ACL injury makes you wonder just where he’d be had he avoided that setback. Incredible crossing and set-piece ability, assisted well for one of Mola’s goals. Was unlucky not to score himself, but a brilliant performance from the winger. A loan move in January to a high League 1 or low Championship side could be crucial for his development.
Ademola Ola-Adebomi - 7.5
Despite scoring a hat-trick, Mola’s overall performance and play weren’t outstanding. He can look uncomfortable with the ball at his feet, and his decision-making when facing up to defenders seemed to lack some execution. He did, however, do well to win aerial battles and progress play, all of which culminated in his exceptional third goal.
Justin Devenney - (Sub 62nd Min) - 6.5
Was solid when he came on and showed a clinical ability in front of goal, but was at fault for the Leeds goal. He is showing signs of a good player and the way he struck the ball for his first goal was excellent. Potentially unfortunate that David Ozoh exists or else he’d be starting more regularly.
Franco Umeh - (Sub 82nd Min) - N/A
Kaden Rodney - (Sub 82nd Min) - N/A