July 17 2016

Jordon Mutch

Crystal Palace won their first summer friendly of the year with a 2-0 triumph over FC Cincinnati.

Alan Pardew put out a strong starting line-up, played in front of a raucous atmosphere at University of Cincinnati's football stadium, and were comfortable victors.

It was FC Cincinnati who created the first opening in the fifth minute with Alex McCarthy tipping Paul Nicholson's effort over.

However, Palace had to wait just three minutes before getting on the scoresheet through Jordon Mutch. The midfielder found space 25 yards from goal, and with nobody closing down, he fired a rocket beyond keeper Mitch Hildebrandt.

Palace then started to boss the game with Wilfired Zaha impressing down the left flank, driving through the United Soccer League team's defence with his trademark pace and trickery.

He helped win a succession of corners and last-ditch blocks and brave defending stopped the Eagles adding any more goals.

Two minutes before the break, Palace were indebted to McCarthy after he produced a strong arm to push out Sean Okoli's vicious shot.

Pardew made three changes at the interval, with Andros Townsend, Scott Dann and Freddie Ladapo coming on in place of Bakary Sako, Martin Kelly and Fraizer Campbell.

The hosts went close to equalising almost straight from the restart as Jimmy McLaughlin shot just off target. Then McCarthy made a fine block to deny Omar Mohamed.

Then goal two arrived on 63 minutes when Townsend fed Zaha on the left of the area and the wideman produced an audacious piece of skill to bamboozle a Cincinnati defender before firing a low, left-foot strike into the far corner.

Townsend was unlucky not to get a goal himself after cutting in from the right and arrowing an effort that was palmed out by sub keeper Williams.

Williams had to be alert to dive low to turn sub Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong's low drive around the post before Sullay Kaikai shot just past the post.

It was worrying news for Palace fans as Zaha hobbled off injured in the 72nd minute after falling badly following a challenge with Jamie Dell.

Eagles' substitute keeper Kleton Perntreou got his first taste of the action with a comfortable save from Derek Luke's free-kick.

A firework show at the end of the game marked Palace's friendly victory, played in front of 35,061 fans – the highest attendance for a soccer match in Ohio.

Cincinnati: Hildebrandt, Polak, Delbridge, Berry, McMahon, Nicholson, Walker, Wiedeman, McLaughlin, Okoli, Cummings.

Subs: Williams, Jaye, Lee, Luke, Dell, Tomaselli, Stevenson, Ripoll, Narbon, Mohamed, Bone, Millay, Spencer, Hoppenot.

Palace: McCarthy (Perntreou 76), Ward (Puncheon 58), Kelly (Dann 46), Delaney (Croll 58), Fryers, Boateng, Mutch, Sako (Townsend 46), Lee (Berkeley-Agyepong 73), Zaha (Kaikai 73), Campbell (Lapado 46).

Not used: Speroni, Jedinak, Bolasie.