Clinical Palace claim win over Women’s Under-21s

Our Women’s Under-21s conceded two late goals as they fell to a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Professional Game Academy League Division Two on Wednesday afternoon.

After Fran Hamer was twice denied by the woodwork in the first half – striking the crossbar and the post with a header – it was the Eagles who opened the deadlock just after the half-hour mark through Gabs Spillman.

Our young side grew into the game as the second half progressed and had a number of glorious chances to grab the equaliser in a five-minute spell, Cairo and Ruby Gaitley seeing efforts saved by the goalkeeper, but Palace capitalised on those missed opportunities as Taylor Bell and a 30-yard strike from Amy Moynihan wrapped up the win for Palace at Hotspur Way.

Nick Hardy made four changes to his starting XI from last week’s defeat to Chelsea, including handing 16-year-old goalkeeper Sophie Jackson her Under-21s debut, while he also named Under-16s player Cairo Antone-Eva among the substitutes.

Making her first appearance at this level, Jackson called into action inside the opening five minutes as she denied Bell from inside the box, racing off her line to block her effort, while, at the other end, Hamer struck the woodwork as her half-volley attempt from edge of the box was tipped onto the bar by Lucy Large.

Maia Lazaro fired over from right area of the box following good build-up play from Mia Endacott and Kendra Brown on the left-hand side but, three minutes after the half hour mark, Palace netted the opener as Bell reacted quickest to a bouncing ball inside the box after a free-kick from the right to loft the ball over Jackson.

We searched for a quick response and was narrowly close to finding the equaliser in the closing stages of the first half but Hamer was once again denied by the woodwork as her header bounced off the outside of the far-post after rising highest to Emily McMaster’s free-kick. Antone-Eva was introduced for the second half for her first appearance at Under-21s level and looked to make an instant impact, curling an effort over the bar from left area of the box.

Tecla Ezeh had a good opportunity to extend the visitors’ advantage on 55 minutes after Jackson’s pass ricocheted off the Palace forward and presented an empty net for her, but our goalkeeper recovered well to deny Ezeh from a tight angle, while Beatrice Cunnison volleyed over from the six-yard box after connecting to Endacott’s corner.

Oteng should have netted the equaliser as she raced onto a  lovely pass from Kendra Brown, but the forward couldn't show composure and dragged the ball wide before Large tipped Ruby Gaitley’s shot from 20 yards out around the post as Hardy’s side stepped up the tempo in the final quarter of the game, however, Palace capitalised on our missed chances to double their advantage on 83 minutes, Bell racing behind our backline and past the on-rushing Jackson before converting into an empty net.

The visitors rounded off the scoring in fantastic fashion as Moynihan, who won the ball back just inside our half, spotted Jackson off her line and sent a 30-yard strike over the retreating goalkeeper to condemn us to back-to-back defeats in the second phase of the competition.

"It was disappointing to concede in the manner we did"

Reflecting on the game, Hardy said: “It’s a feeling of disappointment again. I thought we prepared well, we knew what Crystal Palace were going to present and, credit to them, they were hungrier and more aggressive than we were in the first half. It was disappointing to concede in the manner we did but, for us, we thought we kept it close enough to make amends in the second half. We should have got back on the scoresheet at the beginning of the restart and it was matter of putting the ball in the back of the net, then I think we would have seen two, three potentially follow but we had enough clear-cut opportunities, ultimately, we don’t take those and succumb to a couple of goals at the end."

Asked about the performances from Jackson and Antone-Eva, he added: “I’m really pleased for them, not only because they definitely deserve the opportunity but I thought they came out with a lot of credit. It’s tough for Sophie, as a goalkeeper, to concede three goals but I don’t think she put a foot wrong in the game. Cairo was on for 45 minutes but full of excitement, a really promising young player with forward intent and her ability on the ball, it just felt like a good time to give them the exposure and an opportunity at this level."