Report: Youthful Palace side overcome by Sutton in pre-season friendly

Summary

• Powell shuffles pack, ensuring minutes for everyone involved

• 1: Palace work it well early on, but can't get a shot on goal

• 4: Sutton score, but it’s ruled out for deliberate handball

• 10 - GOAL: Sutton force an own goal through Grante

• 29: Gibbard’s effort from 20-yards is saved

• 31: Brownlie’s deflected effort is held by Sims

• 32: Simper hits the bar for Sutton

• 37: Vaz’s strike from about 25-yards out is wide

• HT: Sutton 1-0 Palace

• 53 - GOAL: Sutton double the lead through Nadesan

• 58 - GOAL: Taylor quickly headed in a third

• 60: Palace make nine changes

• 67 - GOAL: Sutton go four goals to the good, as Nadesan scores again

• 83 - GOAL: Nascimento pulls one back with a looping header

• 89 - GOAL: Judd forces an own goal to get another one back for Palace

• FT: Sutton 4-2 Palace

Continuing their preparations for the 2025/26 season, Crystal Palace Under-21s headed to familiar territory - the VBS Community Stadium - to take on Sutton United.

The Eagles were unbeaten in their first three pre-season games heading into this game, with wins against National League Champions Barnet, AFC Bournemouth U21s and, most recently, a draw against League Two Bromley.

Head coach Darren Powell shuffled the pack for this fixture to ensure minutes for everyone ahead of the new campaign, with only captain Luke Browne retaining a place in the side from the game at Hayes Lane.

Palace nearly got off to a flying start from kick-off, with a long diagonal ball from Charlie Walker-Smith picking out Tyler Whyte on the left hand side. Whyte drove forward and cut it across, but there was no Palace shirt on the end of it.

The hosts did have the ball in the back of the net with just four minutes on the clock, however it was ruled out for a deliberate handball by Henry Sandat.

With 10 minutes on the clock, Sutton were celebrating a goal once again, but this time it counted. Eduino Vaz broke forward down the left-hand side and pulled it back across the box, where Jake Grante unfortunately diverted it into the Palace net.

Both sides continued to pass and probe in a typical pre-season fashion after the goal went in, leaving a lot to be desired going forward.

Near the half-hour mark the game suddenly burst into life. Joe Gibbard saw an effort from 20-yards saved as it bobbled in front of Jack Sims, while Rylan Brownlie saw his deflected strike saved a few minutes later.

Midfielder Lewis Simper found space in the middle of the park for Sutton moments later and had a go from about 25-yards out, striking the crossbar with a fierce strike. Vaz also saw a strike from distance go narrowly wide of the post shortly after Simper’s effort.

The game trickled towards half-time and, though with Palace trailing by the solitary goal, it was all up for grabs in the second-half.

Sutton were on top in the second-half, with a completely changed squad after the interval, and threatened to double their lead. Their eventual second came through Ashley Nadesan, as he got on the end of a ball from Edon Pruti and finished past Trialist in the Palace goal.

Five minutes later, Sutton were celebrating a third as Jack Taylor rose highest to head in from a precise driven corner towards the back post.

The hosts went four goals to the good after the hour-mark, with Nadesan getting a second. He was played through by Jaden Harris and he rifled a shot into the top corner.

Palace did claw two goals back in the final 10 minutes of the game. Adler Nascimento netted another header, a remarkable looping effort which beat the Sutton goalkeeper, while Jasper Judd saw a dangerous ball in diverted into the host's net by one of their own defenders.

There was no time added on following Judd’s forcing of an own goal, with Palace U21s losing for the first time.

Sutton (first-half): Sims (GK) (Azaiya), Tizzard, Phipps, Reeves, Ogbonna, Odelusi, Simper, Vaz, de Silva, Crichlow, Sandat.

Sutton (second-half): Aziaya (GK), Eccleston Taylor, Pruti, Jones, Woodyard, Wadham, Vincent, White, Harris, Nadesan.

Palace: Trialist (GK), Grante (Judd, 60), Whyte (Benamar, 60), Walker-Smith (Okoli, 60), Browne (Somade, HT), Adams-Collman (Williams, 60), Drakes-Thomas (Nascimento, 60), Gibbard (Reid, 60), Marsh (Umolu, 60), Dashi (Henry, 60), Brownlie (Agbinone, 45+1).

Subs not used: Izquierdo (GK).