U18 Report: Crystal Palace 4-2 Saints
Southampton Under-18s fell to a 4-2 defeat away at Crystal Palace in the Under-18s Premier League on Saturday.
The score was 1-1 at half time after David Montjen’s opener for Palace was cancelled out by Harry Gathercole’s equaliser for Saints.
Three second half goals from Makai Bernard-Ferguson, Ben Casey and Sean Somade put the home side 4-1 ahead, with Saints responding as Luke Hawe added their second of the match late on.
Palace took an early lead when forward Montjen skipped through on goal and clipped a smart finish past goalkeeper Oscar Abbotson.
Saints looked to respond quickly though and their first shots came courtesy of Walter Nutter and Max Little – the former seeing a strike from range claimed simply by Palace keeper Jack Mason before the latter fired wide across goal in the next attack.
As the game moved past its first 15 minutes, Palace almost doubled their lead when a ball into the box was met by a spectacular first-time volley from Makai Bernard-Ferguson, but the ball flew narrowly wide of the far post.
The visitors then started to take control of the game and produced most of the positive play for the remainder of the first half and deservedly equalised on 38 minutes.
Neat play on the edge of the Palace penalty area saw the ball moved from Fabio Sainsbury to Nutter and then to Korban McMullan, with the midfielder then finding Gathercole on the left, allowing the winger space to fire an excellent finish across goal and into the far corner.
A rare breakaway from Palace could have seen Ben Casey put the home side ahead going into half time but Abbotson made a good smothering save to deny him.
Despite their strong ending to the first period, Adam Lallana's side were dealt a blow early in the second half when Bernard-Ferguson pushed his way into the box and found the top corner of the net to put Palace 2-1 ahead.
Shortly before the hour mark, the hosts went 3-1 in front when an unfortunate slip at the back from Saints allowed Casey to go through and score.
With confidence and momentum now on their side, it was soon 4-1 when defender Somade found the net.
Saints settled down and added a second goal of their own with 11 minutes of the contest left and again it was well worked.
Substitute Kynan Duffy fed the ball to Fabio Sainsbury, who had made a good forward run from full-back, and Sainsbury’s cross was smartly finished by striker Hawe.
The score stayed the same until the final whistle, with Palace taking the three points on offer.
Saints are in action again on Saturday 6th December when when they host Reading in the Under-18 Premier League, with kick off at Staplewood set for 11am.
Crystal Palace: Mason, Judd, Fasida, Walker-Smith, Somade, Okoli, Drakes-Thomas (Oduro 76'), Danaher, Casey (Martin 76'), Bernard-Ferguson (Frazer-Williams 85'), Montjen.
Subs not used: Benetton, Anderson.
Goals: Montjen (7'), Bernard-Ferguson (46'), Casey (59'), Somade (68').
Saints: Abbotson, Sainsbury, Vallance (Sewell 69'), Day, Goremusandu, Nutter, Newman (Duffy 69'), McMullan, Hawe, Little (Rohart-Brown 55'), Gathercole.
Subs not used: Robinson, Rohart-Brown, Duffy, Wells.
Goals: Gathercole (38'), Haw (79').
