A strong Town U21 side fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Playford Road this afternoon, Jake Gray netting the game’s only goal when he got in ahead of Bartosz Bialkowski to nod home 10 minutes from time.
The Blues’ starting line-up included Bialkowski, Piotr Malarczyk and Teddy Bishop, while former Town loanee Zeki Fryers was perhaps the best-known name in the Palace XI.
Chances were rare in the opening stages but on 11 Ollie O’Dwyer headed a Jason Lokilo corner over the bar for the visitors.
Town threatened for the first time a minute later. James Alabi, the lone striker in Town’s 4-1-4-1 system, was played in on the right of the area by Kundai Benyu. The former Stoke frontman laid the ball back to Alex Henshall, who sent over a cross which eventually reached Josh Emmanuel on the right of the box.
The full-back struck a powerful shot which Kleton Perntreou in the Palace goal did well to block. Bishop brought the loose ball back into the area and tried to find Kyle Hammond, but it wouldn’t fall for the 20-year-old, who was playing on the right of midfield.
Perntreou comfortably claimed a Henshall shot from the left of the box on 20 with the Blues getting on top after a slow start. Seven minutes later, an Adam McDonnell shot deflected through to the Eagles keeper.
The Irishman curled a freekick over on the hour after Alabi had been fouled just outside the area, then just before the break Bishop shot wide.
Two minutes after the restart Connor Dymond was booked for a cynical foul as Benyu broke on goal midway inside the Palace half.
The Blues midfielder was in the action again soon afterwards hitting a strike from distance which Perntreou claimed.
The visitors had what looked a very decent shout for a penalty turned down by referee Adrian Sannerude in the 49th minute when Lokilo looked to have been tripped by McDonnell on the right of the area.
Blues keeper Bialkowski wasn’t seriously tested until the 53rd minute when Gray brought the ball in from the right and the Pole bundled his effort behind for a corner.
A minute later Bialkowski was forced into action again, this time stopping a strike low to his left from Aaron Bissakka.
Just before the hour, Alabi deftly took the ball down and laid it off to Bishop who took it on towards the area before shooting over. At the other end, Gray’s effort was also too high.
On 61 Palace keeper Perntreou dropped a cross from the right under pressure from Henshall but the ball wouldn’t fall for Hammond.
Dylan Connolly replaced Benyu, who has been out of action injured recently, for the final 18 minutes, the Irish U21 international joining Alabi up front.
Connolly almost created an opening in the 78th minute when he closed down keeper Perntreou, who was momentarily dispossessed by Alabi before diving on the loose ball.
With the game, which had rather drifted after the break, looking likely to end 0-0, Palace grabbed their goal 10 minutes from the end. Fryers crossed from the left, Dymond nodded back across goal and Gray beat the advancing Bialkowski to the ball and headed home.
Sam Ford replaced Hammond in the closing moments and Town weren’t far from an equaliser in injury time. Connolly crossed from the right and Myles Kenlock slammed the ball into the stanchion from a tight angle at the far post.
Given the relative strength of the sides the Blues will feel they really ought to have won the match but they created too few opportunities throughout and seemed to run out of steam midway through the second half.
Of the senior players involved, Bialkowski will probably feel he should have done better for the goal but aside from a couple of stops earlier in the second half had an otherwise quiet afternoon.
Centre-half Malarczyk had a generally comfortable afternoon, strolling through the first half in particular with ease, while Emmanuel put in a solid performance at right-back.
Good to get my first 90 minutes in two months! Hopefully onwards and upwards now âš½ï¸ðŸ™ƒðŸƒ#Itfc– Ted bishop (@ted10bishop) October 26, 2015
Midfielder Bishop, whose most recent appearance for the U21s came just over a month ago at Birmingham, made a number of dangerous runs forward and will have benefited from the 90 minutes. The 19-year-old tired after the break, however, and still looks a little way off being ready for first-team action.
Town bosses Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor missed the game as they have travelled to Wales to watch Saturday’s opponents Cardiff in action against Bristol City this evening.
U21s: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Kenlock, Malarczyk, Robinson, McDonnell, Benyu (Connolly, 73), Bishop, Hammond (Ford, 88), Henshall, Alabi. Unused: Crowe, Fowler, Ramadan.
Palace: Perntreou, Wynter, O’Dwyer (Phillips 85), Croll, Fryers, Lokilo, Dymond, Hoare, Berkley-Agyepong (Breimyr 90), Bissaka, Gray. Unused: Pain, Coker, Hall.