Crystal Palace U18 3 – 3 Under 18 – Match Report

In an action-packed game, Jack Wilshere’s young Gunners extended their unbeaten run to four games following a thrilling 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace in a captivating encounter on Saturday morning.

The hosts started the game with a surge of energy, fashioning the early chances of the game. Noah Cooper made an excellent save, tipping Jesse Terry’s effort deftly over the crossbar. Cooper was assertive moments later, beating Zach Marsh in a one-on-one situation.

Our first attempt at goal came when Michael Rosiak successfully won possession in an advanced position, but William Eastwood comfortably saved his shot in the Palace goal.

Another promising moment occurred when we used the counterattack. Louie Copley arranged a lovely through pass to Daniel Oyetunde; However, the striker’s shot was denied.

Jack Wilshere’s side almost broke the deadlock when the ball went to Oyetunde following a corner kick. His shot was deflected, and as the ball headed for the net, Cormac Austin cleared the ball off the line.

Eventually, just before the half-time whistle, we took the lead. Mason Cotcher showed lightning reflexes inside the six yard box to score.

Nevertheless, the home side scored two quick goals within the opening five minutes of the second half. Early on, Marsh took advantage of our inability to clear our defensive lines, confidently firing the ball into the back of the net. A minute later, Hindolo Mustafa unleashed a long-range effort that curled into the bottom corner to put Palace ahead.

Despite this temporary setback, they managed to level the score past the hour mark. Louis Copley and Blaise Agolphire arranged a seamless mix. However, immediately after the restart, another defensive mix-up saw Marsh get his second goal and then restore the hosts’ lead.

In the dying moments of normal time, Ferdinand’s well-placed cross found its mark and Benjamin instead headed the ball into the net.

Benjamin has consistently proven his ability to make a significant impact when he comes off the bench. He showed this ability in our win against Leicester City earlier and his contribution earned us a commendable point on the road.

What does that mean?

The result will see us move up to nine points in the Under-18 Premier League after eight games.

What’s next

We head to the seaside to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 4th November.

Kick-off at the AMEX Performance Center is 12pm (UK).

Sort out

Starting XI: Cooper, Ferdinand, Kakuri, Brown, Ismail (Sweet, 62), Rosiak, Agolfier, Copley (Ryan, 75), Oyedunde, Kamara (Benjamin, 62), Katcher

Material Not Used: Rojas, Shuiip