Under-21s beaten by Palace

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Joe Knight on target in Premier League 2 play-off but Palace prevail 3-1.

Bruce Talbot

2025-04-28T20:45+01:00

Joe Knight got Albion briefly back in the game with a powerful strike from 25 yards. 📷Paul Hazlewood.

The season is over for our men’s under-21s after they were beaten by Crystal Palace in Monday’s Premier League 2 play-off.

Trailing 2-0 at the break at Sutton United’s VBS Stadium, Joe Knight got Albion back in the game with a cracking long-range strike early in the second half.

But Palace restored their two-goal lead four minutes later and a 3-1 victory gave them some revenge for the humiliating 10-0 defeat Albion inflicted on them in the regular season.

Charlie Penman contests an aerial ball with Hindolo Mustapha. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Such has been the change in personnel since that October afternoon that only two players who started that game – Jamie Mullins and Knight – were in the starting XI for the under-21s 44th match of the season.

And Palace were always on course to avenge that humiliation after scoring twice in the first half.

Harry Howell went close with this first-half effort. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Albion started brightly enough and Kaden Rodney bravely blocked Harry Howell’s angled effort in the eighth minute but gradually Palace got on top.

Killian Cahill, who made several good saves, denied Mustapha with his legs before making a fine save from Ademola Ola-Adebomi’s close-range effort but it was a brief respite. Palace laid the ball back to the edge of the box and Hindolo Mustapha’s powerful left-foot volley flew inside the post.

Skipper Jamie Mullins gets Albion on the attack. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Palace doubled their lead in the 37th minute. Cahill again showed his agility to push out Adebomi’s shot but Franco Umeh was quickest to react and steered the loose ball into the corner. Cahill made another good save just before the break with his legs, to deny Mustapha.

Freddie Simmonds has been a regular for the U21s this season and has been part of the first-team squad. 📷 Paul Hazlewood.

Albion got a goal back in the 52nd minute and it was a fine one too as Joe Knight, who’d moved further forward after starting in central defence, drilled a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards. But Palace restored their two-goal advantage four minutes later. Caleb Kporha got a fortunate deflection inside the box and fired across Cahill and inside the far post.

Albion kept pushing but there was no way back, although substitute Sahil Bashir was denied by Palace keeper Louie Moulden before Cahill kept out Adebomi's shot in stoppage time.

Albion: Cahill, Penman, Knight, Simmonds (Nti 78), Slater, Chouchane, Oriola, Mullins, Howell (Owusu 78), Belmont (Bashir 78). Subs not used: Hall, Mackley.