Report & Highlights: Palace smash Chelsea for six to make PL2 play-off semi-final

Summary

• Powell names an unchanged side from the victory over Brighton

• 4: Chelsea’s Dyer hits a free-kick just wide

• 9 - GOAL: MUSTAPHA FIRES PALACE AHEAD WITH A GREAT STRIKE

• 16: McNeilly heads wide for Chelsea

• 22: Stutter fires wide after Antwi does well in the build up

• 33: Moulden makes a flying stop to deny McMahon

• 35: Cardines scores, but it’s ruled out for offside

• 38: Gibbard fires just wide after great work from Ola-Adebomi

• 41 - GOAL: CARDINES DOUBLES THE LEAD FROM CLOSE RANGE

• HT: Palace 2-0 Chelsea

• 50: Umeh hits the post early on in the second-half

• 53: Murray-Campbell fires over after a corner, Browne blocks another effort

• 59 - GOAL: MUSTAPHA NETS ANOTHER STUNNING STRIKE

• 63 - GOAL: OLA-ADEBOMI GETS IN ON THE ACT

• 65: George King makes a stunning goal line clearance

• 83 - GOAL: FIVE FOR PALACE AS OLA-ADEBOMI FINISHES A FINE MOVE

• 90: Drakes-Thomas almost gets a debut goal

• 90+5 - GOAL: MARSH SEALS THE WIN IN STYLE

• FT: Palace 6-0 Chelsea

• Palace progress to the Premier League 2 play-off semi-final

Just four days on from the 3-1 triumph over rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in the round of 16, Crystal Palace Under-21s welcomed London rivals Chelsea to the VBS Community Stadium for their Premier League 2 play-off quarter-final.

Head coach Darren Powell named an unchanged XI and substitutes bench to face the Blues, with Joel Drakes-Thomas in the matchday squad for the second time in four days.

The visitors had the first chance of the game, winning a free-kick early after a breakaway. Kiano Dyer stepped up and fired a curling effort just wide.

Palace’s first chance of the game came with just under 10 minutes on the clock and with it came the first goal. Hindolo Mustapha, fresh off the back of scoring a Goal of the Month nominated strike against Brighton, scored another sensational effort from 20-yards out.

A ball up from Louie Moulden was controlled well by Ola-Adebomi and was flicked on into the path of Mustapha who went on a surging run. With no one around him, he managed to blast a fierce attempt on goal which was in from the moment he hit it.

Palace had the lead, but Chelsea came rushing back and enjoyed more of the ball in the first-half. Donnell McNeilly, who scored in the previous game against these two sides three weeks earlier, headed just wide, while Genesis Antwi and Ronnie Stutter also fired wide.

Despite Chelsea’s dominance of the ball and attempts, Moulden was only called into action to deny Harrison McMahon - making a flying save to stop his effort after a corner.

That proved to be Chelsea’s best effort of the half, as Palace dominated the remaining 10 minutes. The Eagles had the ball in the back of the net moments after the save, though Rio Cardines’ effort was ruled out for offside.

Joe Gibbard fired narrowly wide, linking up well with Ola-Adebomi, before Cardines got a goal that stood a few minutes later. Excellent work form Franco Umeh and Caleb Kporha saw the ball played across the box into the path of Ola-Adebomi.

The striker took a touch and it fell kindly for the onrushing Cardines to smash it home into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.

Palace were two goals to the good at the break, much like in the round of 16 against Brighton, and looked to build on their advantage in the second-half. What followed in the next 45 minutes was nothing short of spectacular.

From the off, Chelsea were continuing to play expansive football and Palace continued to hit them on the counter. The front three of Umeh, Mustapha and Ola-Adebomi combined well, after a Kporha ball over the top, and rattled the woodwork early on in the second-half.

Resolute defending from captain Luke Browne and his centre-back partners George King and Mofe Jemide kept Chelsea at bay, restricting them to efforts from distance and attempts from corners.

On the hour-mark, Mustapha had done it again. Browne headed a ball straight back up field and found Ola-Adebomi; the towering striker took a touch and flicked it right into the path of Mustapha.

The Palace No. 10 raced towards it and hit it on the bounce with such venom that Ted Curd in the Chelsea goal had absolutely no chance.

Mustapha went from scorer to provider a few minutes later as Palace were once again wheeling away in celebration. He was picked out by Cardines, outmuscled his marker and a covering defender and slipped Ola-Adebomi in behind.

Ola-Adebomi was in his element, bearing down on goal with one defender struggling to get across. He skipped past the defender, Landon Emenalo, and coolly slotted it beyond Curd in the Chelsea goal with ease for his 10th of the campaign.

At this point, Palace were four goals to the good and were assured of a place in the semi-final with about half an hour remaining, but Chelsea continued to attack. King made an excellent clearance off the line to deny Shumaira Mheuka after a Chelsea break, keeping the clean sheet intact.

Chelsea continued to look for a way back into the game, but a professional display from the entire Palace squad kept them at bay for the majority of the time that remained.

With just under 10 minutes of normal time remaining, the south Londoners were celebrating a fifth. Ola-Adebomi and Mustapha combined once more in a great move, with Mustapha being denied a hat-trick following a good save, but Ola-Adebomi was on hand to tuck in the rebound.

In the five minutes of stoppage time that were added on substitute Drakes-Thomas almost got a debut goal to remember, but his curling effort was palmed away by Curd.

There was a sixth goal to be had, completing the rout in stoppage time. Zach Marsh netted his fifth of the season, following great work from Drakes-Thomas in the middle to pick him out.

Palace were celebrating their biggest win of the campaign and redemption for the 4-2 defeat a few weeks earlier. The incredible victory sees Powell and his men march on into the semi-final where they will take on either Fulham or Southampton.

Palace: Moulden (GK), Kporha (Grante, 87), King, Jemide, Browne, Gibbard (Marsh, 84), Cardines, Rodney, Ola-Adebomi (Drakes-Thomas, 84), Mustapha (Williams, 84), Umeh (Reid, 71).

Chelsea: Curd (GK), Hughes (Kavuma-McQueen, 63), Murray-Campbell, Emenald, Samuels-Smith (Olise, 90+3), McMahon, Antwi (Ampah, 58), Rak-Sakyi, McNeilly, Dyer, Stutter (Mheuka, HT).

Sub not used: Merrick (GK).