Crystal Palace Under-21s head coach Darren Powell believes Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers should not overshadow the encouraging beginning made by his side this season.
The Young Eagles created several opportunities at Sutton’s Borough Sports Ground, but were unable to find the net. Benji Casey saw a first-half penalty strike both posts, while Seb Williams later had another spot-kick saved by the Blackburn goalkeeper.
Palace’s task became more difficult when Taha Majni was dismissed with a straight red card in the second half. Blackburn then made their numerical advantage count, scoring from a set piece to claim all three points. Powell felt his team could have used possession more effectively before the interval, particularly when attempting to exploit Casey’s pace.
The result ended Palace’s unbeaten start, although Powell stressed that the outcome had been decided by fine margins. He felt the dismissal was harsh and was disappointed that his players switched off for the decisive set play, while also praising their efforts throughout pre-season and the opening weeks of the campaign.
There was some encouragement in the return of captain George King and Joél Drakes-Thomas, who both featured for the first time since the opening-day draw at Arsenal after spells out through injury. Palace are managing a demanding schedule in Premier League 2, the top level of academy football in England, with players required to recover quickly before competing again.
The Young Eagles now have an immediate chance to respond when they travel to Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday evening for their second EFL Trophy group match. Palace began that competition with a 2-1 win at Swindon Town, and Powell intends for his team to recover, assess player availability and go to Plymouth seeking another victory.
