Sixth straight defeat in the FA Premier reserve league

The disappointment continued at Selhurst Park last night (11/1) as Palace reserves slipped to their sixth successive defeat, and eighth defeat out of nine when they went down 3-2 to a young Leicester City side.

Palace also continued with a young side on show, so many of the usual youngsters took to the field, bolsted by the inclusion of Aki Riihilahti in his attempt to return to full
fitness, and Julian Speroni returning in goal.

Performance wise this was another disappointment. After a reasonable first 10 minutes and a better last half hour, it was average fare. No one on the field particularly shone, although several did have a better latter part of the second half. Disappointingly, this was a defeat as some have been lately, to another side fielding purely young players.

It was Leicester's lively winger Max Gradel who popped up with the first shot in the 10th minute.

On this occassion he placed a shot just wide after the away side had won a free kick. Dodds (for City) then did almost the same thing two minutes later from inside the penalty area, when his try was placed just wide of the same post.

Palace then took the lead in the 18th with a swift forward movement down the left. Hall's movement created an opportunity for Tommy Black to drift free of the defence, and after receiving a well placed ball just in front of him, he took steps forward into the box before slotting the ball to the advancing keeper's left and low into the bottom right corner of the goal for 1-0.

Speroni then had to deal with a low shot from Porter in the 20th minute, and Gradel persisted in trying his luck shortly after, with another flashed shot wide of the right hand goalpost.

Only 8 minutes after the first goal, and the Foxes hauled themselves back into the game with the equaliser. Leicester's lively looking, and powerful young forward Chris O'Grady (very Tom Huddlestone like in appearance and play) picked up the ball around 15 yards out on the left
touchline, and took on and held/beat off Fray to power his way into the area. Then from an angle approaching the byeline he placed the ball over Speroni (at the near post) into the far corner of the net.

Palace replied by spirting two more attempts before half time between the 39th and 43rd minutes.

Ryan Hall first created a bit of havoc on the left. As he made a forward run near to the edge of the penalty area, his cross was sliced over by young defender Norval, who only just put the ball over the angle of post/crossbar for a corner. Moments later Tyrone Berry nodded a header over the bar from another Hall ball, when he had a few moments to perhaps adjust himself and take more time to place the effort.

Half time arrived without substitutions by either team, but 11 minutes after the break City had claimed the lead. Gradel was again involved, and with the ball at his feet on the edge of the area, the Palace defence stood off without making a challenge, allowing him a moment or two to dig the ball out from under his feet and strike a slightly curling effort past the diving Speroni at waist height (who could perhaps have done better) and into the right hand side of the net.

Given results and display's in the previous few weeks, it was then no great surprise when Leicester grabbed a third on 63 minutes !

Anthony Straker failed to make a tackle as City wormed their way into the Palace area, and made a poor clearance after a couple of ricochet's to the waiting feet of O'Grady, who slightly to the right of goal and with Speroni away from his line, was able to place the ball into an
unguarded net for 3-1.

This actually had the desired effect of waking the Palace players somewhat, and the last half hour's display was a marked improvement. With just over 20 minutes still on the clock, Berry cut through the middle of the park and lashed a goalbound shot that hit a defender and went away for a corner. Just thereafter, the same player had a great chance to score when Grabban's ball from the left touchline sailed over everyone's head, and to him unmarked on the far side of the area. Sadly, as with the earlier headed effort, he failed to take more time when he had it and instead aimed a soft header at the 'keeper.

Then on 73 minutes, Leicester could have had another. Gradel and O'Grady (the two liveliest players on the pitch) combined again, as the former's left sided cross met the latter at the far post, and his half volley from several yards out bounced back off the foot of the post.

Palace responded again. This time Berry's lofted chip forward inside the Leicester box was headed left towards goal by Palace substitute Peltonen, and again the ball bounced away off of the post. Peltonen became involved again soon after with a low drive towards goal from
outside the area, but straight at the goalie.

Spence then smashed a distance shot wide of goal for Palace in the 81st, before the young Eagles pulled one back in the 84th, courtesy of Ryan Hall. Following some approach work by
Grabban, the ball was given back to Palace in the box by a covering Leicester defender's header. This allowed the receiving Hall to steady himself for a moment before twisting to the side and hitting a shot through a sea of bodies and into the net from 3-2.

Palace tried for another in the closing minutes, and Berry almost got an outstreched boot to Grabban's flick inside the area, but couldn't quite stretch far enough to get power
on the effort.

So again another defeat, and the disappointing run continues until two weeks time, when Palace face off against Arsenal at Selhurst.


Palace Team (4-4-2): Speroni, Fray, Wiggins, Riihilahti, Wilson (c), Straker, Berry, Spence, Grabban, Black, R.Hall

Subs: Welch (For Riihilahti '62), Banks, Starkey, Peltonen (For Black '62), J.Hughes

Match Stats:

Palace Shots/Headers: 8 (5 on target)
Leicester Shots/Headers: 12 (6 on target)

Palace Corners: 2
Leicester Corners: 5

Palace Free Kicks: 4
Leicester Free Kicks: 10

Leicester Crosses: 5
Palace Crosses: 7 (4 from right, 3 from left)
(Black 3, Hall 2, Grabban 1, Berry 1)


Posted by alan