FA Youth Cup Report - Argyle 1 Crystal Palace 2

Crystal Palace edged past Argyle in the third round of the FA Youth Cup at Home Park on Thursday night – by the narrowest of margins.

When Palace, fifth in the Premier League Under-18 league, took the lead on 10 minutes via George King, one could be forgiven for thinking that the South Londoners would prove too classy for the Pilgrims.

Although the Eagles had certainly started the better of the sides, and chances to increase their lead, the longer the first half wore on, the more likely Argyle looked to equalise – and they did, through Caleb Roberts, moments before the break.

In the second period, buoyed by their revival, Argyle were the better side for a long while, but could not find a telling goal, and in the end King’s second was enough for Palace to haul their way into the next round.

At a cold, but mercifully dry, Home Park, following an earlier deluge, it was the visitors who began confidently, and around the ten-minute mark, they took the lead.  

A whipped right-wing corner from Jesse Derry was powerfully headed into the opposite corner by King, who met the head-height delivery on a perfect stride.

Argyle responded well, putting Palace under pressure, and carving out a pair of half-chances before the midway point of the half.

Firstly, a neat move on the left flank involving several players saw left-back Fin Wilkes cut back into a dangerous area only for a defender to clear with Caleb Roberts arriving, ready to pounce.

Not long afterwards, Cole Fisher’s superb delivery from a free-kick was very close to reaching Joe Hatch’s stalking run and, from the resultant corner, Hatch headed wide.

At the other end, though, Palace allowed occasional glimpses at their class, with Hindolo Mustapha having a shot deflected wide and Kai-Reece Adams-Collman driving high, before a slick move allowed Derry a free chance on goal, which he failed to take, shooting over.

Five minutes before the interval, Tegan Finn showed impressive skill to beat two defenders then shoot on target, only to find goalkeeper William Eastwood in the way. There was time for Freddie Issaka to hit a low free-kick on target only to be thwarted again by Eastwood, and Finn to shoot from 40 yards, with Eastwood off his line, only just wide.

It looked as though Palace would go in ahead at the break, but in stoppage time Argyle produced the best move of the first half to level the game.

Issaka’s pace took him into the area, and a nicely timed pass for Roberts was concluded by a calm finish under Eastwood. Parity, just before the interval.

The Greens began the second half on the front foot, too. Josh Bernard curled not too far over within five minutes of the restart, although Palace gave a reminder of their threat too, with Mofe Jemide heading off target from an Eagles’ corner.

Just after the hour mark, after a couple of runs where he showed intent, Issaka was released by a sumptuous throughball by Wilkes, and only a very good Eastwood save, running out to meet Issaka, prevented Argyle taking the lead.

As the 70-minute mark dawned, it was Argyle looking the more likely, asking questions of their lofty opponents, but while Palace’s threat seemed to have receded, the embers flickered, and from a breakaway, leading goalscorer Zach Marsh looked likely to give the visitors the lead.

However, that reckoned without the intervention of Lewis Colwell, doing a captain’s job of flinging his body out and blocking Marsh’s powerful effort.

Blocks were the order of the day. Jensen Ireland and Wilkes put in notable ones as Palace began to turn the tide, and they made their momentum tell when they worked a short corner into the box and King steered home his second.

Argyle were not deterred, though. With Issaka often the instigator, they probed looking for an equaliser, with substitute Sam Lord hitting a deflected shot wide, and Finn, from a free-kick which also took a deflection, going even closer.

From the corner that ensured, Hatch headed on target, only to see Eastwood’s grasping fingers push the effort onto the bar.

Ultimately, Argyle could not find an equaliser to send the game to extra-time, despite a later-than-later corner that Matthews headed on target, and a second corner that struck the crossbar.

In the end, it is Palace who advanced, but manager Jamie Lowry and his staff should be very proud of the spirit and quality displayed throughout the side.

Argyle: 1 Dan Holman (gk), 2 Lewis Colwell (c), 3 Finley Wilkes, 4 Cole Fisher (15 Sam Lord 74), 5 Jensen Ireland (17 Henry Donovan 88), 6 Jack Matthews, 7 Freddie Issaka, 8 Caleb Roberts, 9 Joe Hatch, 10 Tegan Finn, 11 Josh Bernard. 

Substitutes: 23 Jack Flower (gk), 12 Cole Gibbings, 14 Toby Haley, 16 Oscar Dean, 18 Kian Burch.

Booked: Wilkes 56, Fisher 61

Crystal Palace: 1 William Eastwood (gk), 2 Jake Grante, 3 Rio Cardines, 4 Kai-Reece Adams-Collman, 5 George King, 6 Mofe Gemido, 7 Matteo Dashi (12 Seb Williams, 77), 8 Joseph Gibbard (14 Asher Agbinone 62), 9 Zach Marsh, 10 Hindolo Mustapha, 11 Jesse Derry.

Substitutes: 13 Marcus Hill (gk), 15 Olaoluwa Omobolaji, 16 Leon Elliott, 17 Freddie Cowin, 18 Jerome Osei Kyremeh.

Booked: Gibbard 39, Mustapha 90

Attendance: 1,102.