A youthful Palace side goes down by the odd goal in three, in the rain

Tuesday evening (29/3) saw Palace reserves field an under strength academy side in the FA premier reserve league (with players either injured or away on international duty), and as a result - against a Watford side including a number of players with first team experience, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat in the rain at Vicarage Road.

Watford's line-up had the elderly Alec Chamberlain in goal, and was bolstered with the inclusion of two defenders from the first team (Jay DeMerit and Paul Mayo) plus forward Jason Norville.

Palace's young side contained only Mark Hudson with any real experience, although Anthony Danze also started.

Glen Wilson shifted to right back with Sam Togwell out on loan at Northampton, and young 'keeper Rikki Banks replaced equally young David Wilkinson, who dropped to the bench.

Watford began proceeding's with two shots lashed wide in the opening ten minutes, before Lewis Grabban did rather better with one on target, albeit directly at 'keeper Alec Chamberlain.

Conditions meant good chances at either end were a rarity, but Watford tried again on 40 minutes when Al Bangura's shot from outside the box was pushed away by Banks. Moments before half time, Tyrone Berry met Ryan Hall's cross with a close range effort that was blocked.

Watford continued to pepper the Palace goal with inaccurate finishing, but just before the hour, a deflected shot inside the Palace area from Bangura (off his own teammate) saw Banks scamper across goal to make a good save and push the ball round.

The opener came just after the hour mark. Watford's Gilligan was unmarked and rounded Banks. His goalbound shot
may not have made it, but Norville slid in to make sure it crossed the line.

Gilligan then added the second himself in the 73rd minute as he shot past the diving Banks from around the penalty spot. Watford then had another couple of efforts wide of the mark before Lewis Grabban replied for Palace with five minutes remaining from close range, after Chamberlain had parrired Hall's shot from distance.

Disappointing, but not despondant. There are bigger fish to fry at the moment !

Palace Team: (4-4-2) Banks, Wilson, Wiggins, El-Salahi, Hudson, Spence, Berry, Danze, R.Hall, Welch, Grabban

Subs: Wilkinson, Starkey (For Hudson '46), Lyons (For Spence '72), Dayton (For Berry '81), Fish


Posted by alan