Report: Palace beat National League champions Barnet

Summary

• Palace named a 22-man squad, with returning loanees and U18s stepping up

• 10: Agbinone’s shot from 20-yards is saved

• 13: Trialist saves well from a Barnet corner

• 21: Barnet threaten from multiple corners

• 26: Benamar almost forces an own goal with a free-kick

• 28 - GOAL: Umolu puts Palace ahead!

• 36 - GOAL: Hawkins levels for Barnet

• 37 - GOAL: Agbinone reclaims the lead for Palace

• 45+2 - GOAL: Agbinone gets another from the spot

• HT: Barnet 1-3 Palace

• 55: Hill comfortably saves a Shelton effort from distance

• 62: Adaramola’s shot on the edge of the box is parried away

• 64: Glover fires narrowly wide for Barnet

• 70: Hill does well to save an effort from R. Browne

• 74: Osadebe’s shot is blocked inside the box

• 77: Nascimento is through, but he sees his effort tipped behind

• 82: Hill again denies R. Browne with another good save

• FT: Barnet 1-3 Palace

Crystal Palace Under-21s made a trip north of the river Thames to take on 2024/25 National League champions Barnet, in their first game of pre-season ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Finding their footing after returning from their summer breaks, Palace quickly got into their stride in North London and threatened with the first real attempt of the game: a 20-yard strike from Asher Agbinone that was saved.

Barnet had a chance of their own from a corner, with Ollie Hawkins getting on the end of the ball in, however Trialist in the Palace goal stood tall and caught the goalbound effort.

Multiple corners followed for the hosts, though Palace managed to defend them well. Opportunities for Palace came and went, with Dean Benamar and Joe Gibbard both causing havoc for the Barnet defence.

The breakthrough did come just before the half-hour mark with Jemiah Umolu putting Palace in front. Gibbard went on a surging run through the middle of the park, skipping past challenges, before picking out the No. 9 on the edge of the box for a simple finish.

Barnet did hit back just eight minutes later, after initially stinging the palms of Trialist in the process. Hawkins got his name on the scoresheet from close range, after being played in by Scott High in the build-up.

The Eagles responded immediately in the best way possible: by going straight down the other end and reclaiming the lead within a minute. The ball broke to Zach Marsh, who ran into acres of space on a counter-attack, and he found Agbinone who made no mistake to put it past Trialist A in the Barnet goal.

Just before half-time, Agbinone was brought down inside the box following some fancy footwork. The Palace No. 10 took the ball himself and placed it on the spot, stepping up with a stuttering run-up to calmly slot it past the ‘keeper.

Palace went into the break with a two-goal cushion, though they did change the entire squad at the restart. In a similar vein to the first-half, they had to adjust to the tempo and an unchanged Barnet were on top as a result.

Despite Barnet’s dominance of the opening 10 minutes of the second-half, their best effort came from distance via Mark Shelton, but Marcus Hill easily dealt with it.

Tayo Adaramola, returning from a successful loan spell with Bradford City, had Palace’s first attempt of note in the second-half, stinging the palms of Trialist D in the Barnet goal.

The hosts changed their entire XI on the hour-mark, and remarkably managed to keep their momentum up. Rhys Browne tested Hill, while Ryan Glover fired narrowly wide after cutting inside.

There was a golden opportunity for a fourth for Palace, as Adler Nascimento was played in behind one-on-one with the ‘keeper. He pushed forward and tried a dinking effort, though it was parried behind for a corner.

Hill was called into action once more to deny Rhys Browne once again, this time with a save low down at his near post inside the box. That proved to be the last big chance of the game as neither side came close to finding the back of the net in the final 10 minutes of the contest.

Palace take the victory and, more importantly, the crucial minutes in the legs back to south London as they continue their preparations with a clash against Bournemouth next week.

Barnet (first-half): Trialist A (GK), Crichlow, Kensdale, Rye, Galvin, High, Shelton, Siaw, Trialist B, Matejko, Hawkins.

Barnet (from 60th minute): Trialist C (GK), Tavares, Collinge, Senior, Kanu, Osadebe, Hartigan, Glover, Brunt, R. Browne, Trialist D.

Palace (first-half): Trialist (GK), Imray, Walker-Smith, King, L. Browne, Reid, Benamar, Gibbard, Umolu, Agbinone, Marsh.

Palace (second-half): Hill (GK), Whyte, Somade, Jemide, Grante, Adaramola, Williams, Rodney, Mustapha, Ola-Adebomi, Nascimento.