City stage stunning fightback to share spoils in Under-18 PL Cup opener | OneFootball

City staged a magnificent second half fightback from 3-0 down to claim a dramatic 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace in our opening Under 18 Premier League Cup group clash.

A second half Teddie Lamb brace and superb effort from Christian Dunbar-McDonald earned City a more than deserved share of the spoils.

In what proved a pulsating and rip-roaring clash in south London, the young Eagles seemed set fair for victory after racing 3-0 ahead in a dominant first 45 minutes.

A brace from Stuart Oduro allied to a Ben Casey goal had left Oliver Reiss’s side facing an uphill battle at the break.

But City demonstrated both our class and character by staging an incredible second half turnaround in what was a clash to remember.

What happened

Palace came racing out of the blocks and took the lead with their very first attack with less than three minutes on the clock.

A long searching ball found Stuart Oduro bursting into the Blues’ box and the Palace midfielder showed great technique and composure to swivel and fire home a first time shot past Max Hudson.

City were then indebted to Hudson for coming out smartly to execute a brave save to deny Ben Casey after the Palace striker had again pierced City’s back line before his defensive colleagues then twice denied David Montjen from rifling home the rebound.

But Palace maintained their strong early pressure and doubled their advantage on 20 minutes.

Oduro was the architect this time, his hooked ball finding the alert Casey who needed no second invitation to fire home after advancing into the left side of the City box.

City sought to summon up a response with Dante Headley’s left footed strike on the half hour drawing a sprawling save out of Palace keeper Marcus Hill.

But a tough first half was compounded with a third goal for the hosts deep into stoppage time.

Joel Drakes-thomas evaded two challenges down the right flank before his teasing cross looped over Hudson and his defensive colleagues with Oduro ghosting in at the far post for his second and the Eagles’ third.

City’s frustration was then further compounded when Floyd Samba’s goal bound header from Harrison Miles’ corner was denied by a point-blank save from Hill.

Samba then came within a whisker of reducing the deficit with a fine snapshot five minutes after the restart only for the effort to narrowly miss the target.

But City did get on target a minute later when Lamb neatly converted from close range after superb work from Tyrone Samba on the left wing.

Inspired by that breakthrough City stepped up the intensity and tempo and our endeavour was rewarded again nine minutes from time with a fine second goal.

Substitute Christian Dunbar-McDonald curled home a stunning long-range effort after Palace keeper Hill had opted to punch a cross rather than gather.

And a stunning fightback was then sealed with seconds left when Lamb did superbly well to turn and fire home inside the left-hand post after a neat lay off from substitute Jake Wint.

Even then the drama wasn’t over, Palace’s Montjen striking the post when just eight yards out before Dunbar McDonald saw a 94th shot inch just wide of the target.

Teams

PALACE: Hill, Judd, Fasida, Danaher, Somade, Walker-Smith, Oduro (Bonsu-Amako 87), Okoli, Casey, Montjen, Drakes-thomas

Sub: Mason, Greaves, Frazer-Williams, Martin

CITY XI: Hudson, Headley (Wain 78), Drake, Barrett (Obin 86), Tevenan, Miles, Midwood (Holt 78), Gorman, Lamb, F Samba, T Samba (Dunbar-McDonald 63)

Subs: Alvarado

What it means

City’s Under-18 Premier League Cup campaign is up and running. The young Blues next face home group games against Chelsea and Sheffield United in October.

Up next

The City youngsters are back in action on Saturday when we resume our Under 18 Premier League North campaign at home to Blackburn Rovers.

Kick-off at the CFA is set for 11am and the game will be screened live on CITY+ with Oliver Reiss’s youngsters seeking to make it three wins out of three in the league.