Ipswich Town’s Under-18s had a disappointing weekend, falling 6-2 to Crystal Palace at Playford Road. Despite a brace from Chris Atherton, the young Blues could not recover from a disastrous first period, which saw Palace rocket into a commanding lead.

However, the academy could take some positives from the afternoon with schoolboy prospect Tommy McLoughlin receiving an England call-up ahead of a new-look FIFA youth tournament in Azerbaijan.

Palace Punish Slow Start

Ipswich found themselves on the back foot straight away in a competitive encounter against a strong Crystal Palace side. The visitors were quick to make themselves at home and took the lead after just 11 minutes when Donte Martin opened their account.

Matters only got worse for the Blues. Three minutes later Remi Ahazie-Shittu added a second for Palace before Martin struck again in the 16th minute to give the visitors a commanding 3-0 lead.

The visitors were ruthless in front of goal and punished almost every chance that came their way during a dominant spell in the opening period. While Mark Robinson’s side tried to get back into the game, Palace’s early attacking intent had set them up nicely.

Atherton Provides Bright Spot

One player who continued to impress despite the disappointing result was Chris Atherton. The summer arrival shone brightly throughout the contest and eventually got the Blues on the scoresheet after 29 minutes.

Atherton’s strike briefly gave the young Blues hope of a recovery and demonstrated the qualities that have made him such a prized prospect. However, the visitors were quick to respond.

Martin completed his hat-trick just a minute later before Hugo Bull added a fifth before the break, giving Palace a commanding 5-1 lead at the break. It was a frustrating afternoon for the Blues, who could not cope with their opponents’ attacking threat at all.

Second-Half Improvement Falls Short

To their credit, Ipswich did try to make a stand after the restart. Several changes were made as the coaching staff tried to breathe new life into the team, but the visitors continued to create chances.

Makai Bernard-Ferguson netted the visitors’ sixth goal just before the hour mark, effectively ending any hopes of a recovery. Atherton did manage to grab his second goal of the afternoon 19 minutes from full-time.

The midfielder’s brace was one of the few positives for the young Blues on a disappointing afternoon and served to prove his ability to have an impact even when things were not going well around him.

While there were signs of improvement during spells of the second half, the visitors’ early blitz proved too much for the visitors to overcome.

Francis Continues Trial Spell

Another key factor of the game was the continued involvement of trialist Freddie Francis. The 16-year-old Folkestone Invicta forward started for the Blues for the second successive week after also featuring against Brighton in the Premier League Cup.

Francis has already had first-team experience with National League South side Folkestone this season and is currently on a two-week trial period at Playford Road.

His inclusion serves as a signal that Town are continuing to look to identify and try potential young talents who are not yet part of the academy system.

Whether the trial leads to anything longer-term remains to be seen, but it is a valuable opportunity for the youngster to put himself forward in a professional academy environment.

England Recognition for McLoughlin

While Saturday’s result was a disappointment, there was plenty of good news elsewhere for the academy. Schoolboy forward Tommy McLoughlin has been selected in the England squad for the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan.

The new eight-a-side tournament features 189 teams competing across multiple stages. England will begin their campaign against Nicaragua before also facing Montenegro, Cambodia, the Republic of Ireland and Zimbabwe in the opening phase.

McLoughlin’s inclusion is further reward for the rapid progress he has made in recent seasons. The Holbrook Academy pupil earned his first England Under-15 caps last season and enjoyed his debut campaign for Ipswich’s Under-18 side while still only 14 years of age.

Having first joined the Ipswich Town Foundation programme at the age of six before progressing into the academy setup as an Under-12 player, his inclusion represents another important step in his young career.

Mixed Week for the Academy

While the Under-18s will be disappointed by the result against Crystal Palace, there were some positive developments for Ipswich’s academy.

Atherton continued his impressive progress with a fine brace, Francis enjoyed further valuable experiences during his trial spell and McLoughlin received international recognition with England.

Defeats can serve as important learning experiences for young players and the challenge for Town’s youngsters will be to respond positively when they return to the field of play.

With exciting young talents emerging throughout the academy system, there is plenty to be optimistic about despite a disappointing day on the pitch.