Darren McQueen hit the post from the penalty spot and Darren Ambrose from a late freekick as Town’s U21s were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace at Playford Road this afternoon. Eagles midfielder Jake Gray netted the game’s only goal in the 26th minute.
The Blues included senior players Ambrose, Elliott Hewitt, Cameron Stewart, Balint Bajner and Alex Henshall from the start, while the Palace line-up featured former Town keeper Lewis Price, one-time Blues academy schoolboy Stuart O’Keefe and ex-Charlton and West Brom winger Jerome Thomas.
Despite the home side having most of the ball in the early stages, the visitors went close to going in front in the 12th minute. Blues keeper Michael Crowe saved well from Kyle De Silva and Fisayo Adarabioyo was first to the loose ball, but slammed his rebound against the post.
Four minutes later, Ambrose turned a Hewitt cross from the right to his former team-mate - at both Town and Palace - Price’s arms.
Bajner should have put Town in front in the 21st minute but the big Hungarian nodded Henshall’s left-wing cross wide when he ought to have done better. A minute later, the former Borussia Dortmund man struck a low effort from distance which failed to test Price.
The visitors went in front in the 26th minute on what was a rare foray forward at that stage of the game. Gray was found in space on the right and took the ball on a pace or two before hitting a low shot which squirmed under the diving Michael Crowe and into the net. The keeper will feel he probably should have kept it out.
Having gone in front, Palace started to have more of the game and Thomas shot over from the right on the half hour.
Five minutes later, Town defender Matt Clarke did well to block from Hirem Boateng who had found space on the edge of the box, then Crowe seized on a loose ball ahead of O’Keefe after a goalmouth scramble following a Palace corner.
Town’s Wales U19 international goalkeeper immediately sent a long ball down field and a Palace defender inadvertently flicked it into the path of Stewart, sending the winger in on goal.
The 23-year-old might have played the ball to his left to the unmarked Henshall but instead tried to beat Price, who came out to block.
Two minutes before the break, Hewitt looped over a deep cross from the right which Bajner nodded wide when again he might have done better.
Soon after the restart, McQueen hit a low, long-distance strike which Price claimed with little trouble.
The former Spurs youngster tested Price more with a looping effort from the right in the 57th minute, the keeper palming the ball away to the Town left. Henshall sent it back across to the far post but Bajner headed wide.
McQueen turned a Henshall cross against Palace defender Luke Croll on 58, then Ambrose sent a powerful 25-yard drive just past Price’s right post.
The Blues should have got on terms in the 64th minute when they were awarded a penalty. McQueen sent Stewart away on the right and the winger was tripped as he broke into the area.
McQueen, a regular scorer for the U21s this season, took the responsibility and sent Price the wrong way but saw his low kick hit the outside of the keeper’s right post and bounce away from goal.
After starting what had been a scrappy second half slowly, the Blues were getting on top and on 68 Henshall hit a low strike across the face of goal.
Palace sub Christian Scales shot over from the edge of the Town box two minutes later, before Henshall similarly went too high, then hit a low effort through to Price.
The Eagles should have increased their lead in the 78th minute when Croll headed over at the far post after Crowe had failed to catch a corner from the right.
The Palace centre-half went even closer a minute later when he flicked a near-post corner across the face of goal and onto the post.
The visitors continued to threaten and on 80 Crowe came off his line bravely to block from Adarabioyo.
Ambrose was unlucky not to equalise from an 83rd minute freekick after McQueen had been felled as he broke quickly on the left. The former England U21 international hit a powerful strike which hit Price’s left post and then the keeper before bouncing away from goal.
The visitors immediately broke in numbers and only a last-ditch Henshall tackle on O’Keefe as he looked to shoot prevented the South Londoners from adding to their lead. The former Manchester City youngster required treatment after making the sort of run and saving challenge which will have impressed the watching Mick McCarthy.
Town pressed for an equaliser in the closing stages, Bajner headed across the face of goal in the final minute of scheduled time, then Ambrose looped an overhead kick into Price’s arms after the Hungarian had flicked on Hewitt’s long throw.
Deep in injury time, the Blues might have had a second penalty when McQueen appeared to be pulled back when sent through on goal, the hampered striker’s lob beating Price but landing on the roof of the net.
The result was a little harsh on the Blues who probably deserved at least a draw given the chances they created, although Palace came close to increasing their lead on a number of occasions.
Mark Kennedy’s men had started the stronger but lost their impetus having gone behind, only really regaining it in the latter half of the second period when they ought to have got on terms with McQueen a little unfortunate that his spotkick struck the post and Ambrose perhaps more so that his freekick also hit the woodwork.
Henshall was probably the liveliest of the senior players, although Stewart and Hewitt also had their moments but without overly making a case for their inclusion in the first team.
Ambrose probably ought to be a greater influence in games such as this given his experience and Bajner should have made more of his opportunities in front of goal. Young midfielder Kundai Benyu, a first-year scholar, again impressed early on before tiring latterly.
U21s: Crowe, Hewitt, Wyatt, Ambrose, Robinson, Clarke, Stewart, Benyu, McQueen, Bajner, Henshall. Unused: Marsden, Emmanuel, Guldbrandsen, Galvin. Patterson.