Crystal Palace Under-21s returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion on Sunday, overturning an early deficit to beat Leeds United 4-1 at Thorp Arch in Premier League 2. The result ended a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions for Darren Powell’s side.
Leeds moved ahead through Callum Mills after 10 minutes, but Palace goalkeeper Harry Lee kept the visitors in contention with a series of impressive saves. His interventions helped Palace withstand pressure before Adler Nascimento levelled by capitalising on a loose pass and finishing one-on-one.
Nascimento then completed the turnaround from the penalty spot before half-time, sending Palace into the interval with a 2-1 lead. The forward completed his hat-trick five minutes after the restart, striking from the edge of the area following a combination between Nat Kalembo and Williams.
Kalembo, aged 15, added further gloss to the result with a superb long-range finish into the top corner after Leeds failed to clear a free-kick. Palace continued to threaten on the counter, while Lee made further important saves as the hosts attempted to respond.
The closing stages brought a setback when Chuks Okoli was shown a straight red card, but Leeds could not take advantage despite hitting the crossbar from the resulting free-kick. The victory lifted Palace to 14th in the 31-team Premier League 2 table, with the Young Eagles level on seven points with Reading, Leeds and Brentford.
