Crystal Palace have reached the second group stage of the Under-17 Premier League Cup after completing a perfect run through Group B.
The competition is open to players born on or after 1 September 2009 and is intended to provide first-year scholars with competitive experience. Palace have taken an accelerated approach, with their squad made up mainly of Under-16 schoolboys.
Their campaign began with an impressive 2-1 victory away to Brighton & Hove Albion, whose team was largely composed of first-year scholars. The Young Eagles then followed that result with a 2-0 win against Reading.
A meeting with Birmingham City on Tuesday afternoon decided whether Palace would progress, and the Academy side produced a convincing performance. They defeated the Blues 6-1, finishing the group stage with three wins, 10 goals scored and two conceded.
The top two teams in each of the competition’s eight groups move into Group Stage Two. Palace will now be placed in one of four groups containing four teams, with each side facing the others once. Only the group winners will qualify for the semi-finals, while the final will be hosted at the main stadium of one of the participating clubs. Chelsea, Bournemouth, Ipswich Town, Fulham, Cardiff City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester City and Derby County are also confirmed for the next stage.
