Crystal Palace Under-18s will be aiming to overcome Category Three side Stevenage on Thursday evening (5th February, 19:00 GMT) as we look to book a place in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals for the first time in over 15 years...
The match will be streamed LIVE on Palace TV+ on Thursday evening (5th February), with coverage beginning at 18:45 GMT ahead of a 19:00 GMT kick-off – click HERE to find out more and subscribe.
Supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Highlights and extended reaction will be available on Palace TV+.
It has been an encouraging period for Javier Alonso’s Under-18s, who head into Thursday’s tie on the back of two emphatic victories across cup and league competition.
Palace secured their place in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup with a commanding 4-0 win away at Newcastle United on a wet and blustery Tuesday night (22nd January) at Whitley Park. The young Eagles controlled large spells of the contest, taking the lead just before the half-hour mark when David Angibeaud finished from close range.
Benji Casey doubled the advantage shortly after the restart, before Palace weathered a brief spell of Newcastle pressure – helped by a superb reaction save from ‘keeper Jack Mason. From there, the Under-18s pulled clear, with Angibeaud tapping in his second of the night and Casey adding a fourth to cap off a dominant performance.
Attention then turned back to league action on Saturday (31st January), where Palace cruised to a 5-0 victory over Birmingham City at the Academy in the U18 Premier League South. Braces from Donte Martin and Angibeaud, alongside a close-range finish from Sean Somade, sealed another convincing display.
The result lifted Palace to second place in the table, level on 27 points with Tottenham Hotspur but ahead on goal difference, and six points behind leaders Chelsea.
Stevenage arrive at this stage of the competition having made club history by reaching the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup for the first time.
Boro booked their place with a 3-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers, with Lenny Brown opening the scoring before goals from Riley England and Faith Mustafa sealed a memorable night for the Hertfordshire side.
A Category Three academy, Stevenage compete in the Youth Alliance League, which features U18 teams from Category Three and Four academies across the EFL and Premier League, alongside selected National League clubs. They currently sit second in the table on 42 points, just two behind leaders AFC Wimbledon.
Stevenage’s Youth Cup journey has seen them record a 6-0 win over Eastbourne Borough in the first round, a 2-1 victory against Merstham in round two, and a 2-0 success away at Gillingham in the third round.
Most recently, Boro beat Sutton United U18s 4-0 to extend a six-match unbeaten run. Their only league defeat this season came against AFC Wimbledon in December, ending a 10-match unbeaten streak.
Expected Stevenage starting XI: Woodford, Wright, Sullivan, Doherty, Saji, Impey, England, Mustafa, Norris, Brown, Ayolie.
Head coach Nick Mountford is expected to make minimal changes from the side that defeated Sutton United. Ryan Doherty could return to the starting XI following an impressive month with the senior side, which included starts against Cardiff City and Burton Albion.
There is also flexibility across the back line, with Thornett and Okwara pushing for inclusion, the former having recently been handed the captain’s armband in the previous round.
Stevenage have lost just once during the 2025/26 season, with that defeat coming against Youth Alliance leaders AFC Wimbledon. Boro boast the strongest attacking record in the league, having scored 60 goals, while also ranking second defensively with just 15 conceded.
Currently second in the Youth Alliance on 42 points, Stevenage are also enjoying a strong run at home, winning seven, drawing two and losing just once. In the FA Youth Cup, they have scored 13 goals and conceded only two en route to the fifth round.
Lenny Brown embodies everything associated with a Stevenage player: hardworking, resilient, and technically gifted. During the 2023/24 season, while still an U16, Lenny recorded the highest number of assists in his age group, performances that earned him multiple training opportunities with the Stevenage first team. He also demonstrated his eye for goal by scoring against Gillingham.
Lenny has made three appearances in the FA Youth Cup, finding the net twice against Bolton Wanderers and Gillingham, underlining his ability to perform on big occasions. He continues to progress rapidly through the club’s development pathway.
His football journey began with Cheshunt Youth, representing the Ambers up to U9 level, where he regularly collected tournament honours alongside his teammates. That early success laid the foundation for his move into the Stevenage academy system.
Lenny was named on the bench for the away fixture against Peterborough United in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy. On an extraordinary evening disrupted by torrential rain and a temporary suspension of play, Lenny made his professional debut in the second half, replacing Ken Aboh after a head injury.
This appearance marked Lenny’s first professional outing, and he is believed to be one of the youngest players ever to feature for Stevenage, alongside fellow U18 teammate Ryan Doherty, who also came on as a substitute in the same match.
Nick Mountford began his coaching career with Isthmian Premier Division side Potters Bar Town before spending a year at Tottenham Hotspur as U13 Head Coach.
In July 2025, he was appointed Stevenage’s U18 Head Coach alongside his role as senior PDP Lead, overseeing a historic season for the club’s academy setup.
Broadcast information will be confirmed in due course. In the meantime, supporters can follow live commentary on our Academy X (Twitter) page, with a full match report and reaction published shortly after full-time in our Academy news section.
Stevenage Under-18s v Crystal Palace Under-18s
Tickets for this fixture are sold and administered by Stevenage FC.
Supporters should note that only the West Stand will be open, with no segregation between home and away fans.
Tickets are available via the following methods:
Since its inception in 1952/53, the FA Youth Cup has remained one of the most prestigious competitions in youth football, offering academy sides across the pyramid the opportunity to compete on a national stage.
The last time Palace reached the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup was a 4-2 defeat to Newcastle United on 25th February 2010.
