It’s not often that a European final takes place at Selhurst in fact, let alone the same final against the same opposition in consecutive years, but that’s exactly what happened in late May for the U21s as they successfully redeemed themselves against Jong PSV - the youth side of PSV Eindhoven.
That was the conclusion of a campaign that saw 87 goals, 19 wins, 52 different players utilised, and 39 games played - here’s how it all played out from start to finish…
August
A new ‘B’eginning (Man Utd, Reading, Fulham)
The start of a new campaign always means the arrival of a few new faces as players move from club to club. At youth level there's an added element of Trialists thrown into the mix, where players have the opportunity to impress in a few games to properly secure a contract.
This opportunity was grasped by none other than Roshaun Mathurin, affectionately known as ‘Trialist B,’ by the Palace faithful who saw the opening clash of 2023/24 against Manchester United.
A tall order, to face one of the best Academies in the country on the opening day of a new season, but that’s what being a Category 1 Academy is all about - testing yourselves against the cream of the crop.
Palace turned it around against the Red Devils after going a goal down, inspired by a stunning Mathurin strike, and managed to secure a winning start, with Jadan Raymond claiming all three points with his 98th minute winner.
Mathurin’s impressive performance earned him a contract at the club, while he was also joined by centre-back Chris Francis and Scottish Under-19 international Justin Devenny in August.
Two defeats followed after Man Utd, against Reading and Fulham, though the results were not indicative of the side’s performance on the pitch as the latter months go on to show.
