U21 Report: Crystal Palace 2-5 Saints
Southampton Under-21s’ earned their fourth consecutive win across all competitions with a pulsating 5-2 victory over Crystal Palace in Premier League 2.
In-form striker Princewill Ehibhatiomhan hit another hat-trick as he extended his impressive form and moved Adam Lallana's side up to second in the table.
Saints took the lead when Sufianu Sillah Dibaga's low shot from the edge of the box was parried out, only into the path of Ehibhatiomhan who reacted quickest to stroke home the rebound.
The striker scored his second just 10 minutes later in similar fashion as Sillah Dibaga was denied again by Harry Lee in goal, only for Ehibhatiomhan to emphatically crash in the loose ball off the underside of the crossbar.
Crystal Palace did rescue a goal back two minutes later when Joe Gibbard headed home from a long throw-in, as the game entered half-time at 2-1.
In the second half, a 15-minute blitz of goals put Adam Lallana's side out of sight. Following a flowing team move, Sillah Dibaga struck an angled shot that was again pushed away but only into the path of Aston Daley who powered in the rebound from 12 yards out.
Sillah Dibaga finally got his goal to make it four for Saints, when a smart pass from Harry Gathercole found the Saints winger for a well-placed finish into the bottom corner.
Ehibhatiomhan completed his hat-trick when a loose ball in the box, following another Sillah Dibaga effort, caused the Palace defence to stop as the striker calmly rolled his shot into the bottom corner.
Palace found a consolation goal moments later through David Angibeaud's emphatic near-post finish, but the three points were already wrapped up as Saints' youngsters move to second in the PL2 table.
Crystal Palace: Lee, Kporha (Whyte 69'), James Kalembo, King, Walker-Smith (Somade 45'), Williams, Adams-Collman, Angibeaud, Gibbard, Benamar, Nascimento.
Unused substitutes: Hill, Judd, Martin, Fasida, Bernard-Ferguson.
Goals: Gibbard, Angibeaud.
Booked: Adams-Collman, Benamar, Whyte.
Saints: Moody, Adjei-Afriyie (Whittaker 79'), Kayi Sanda, Day, Anderson (Sewell 79’), Williams (Kakay 61'), Daley, Akachukwu, Sillah Dibaga (Little 68’), Gathercole, Ehibhatiomhan (Charles 69’).
Unused substitutes: Gbajumo, Bailey.
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan (26', 37', 64'), Daley (50'), Sillah Dibaga (54').
Booked: Kayi Sanda, Adjei-Afriyie, Charles.
