Bromley vs Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace dominated the first period behind a largely youthful XI. Rio Cardines forced Shamal George into a fingertip save inside five minutes, Matheus França was denied by George from close range after a chipped pass from Will Hughes, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi ran clear but was denied by a last-ditch Alex Stepien-Iwumene tackle. França then blazed over from a good position (28') and had two efforts saved by George before Justin Devenny's follow-up was cleared off the line (31').

HT: Bromley 0-0 Crystal Palace

Both teams made 11 changes at half-time. Palace continued to create: Brennan Johnson's free-kick hit the side netting (49'), Tyrick Mitchell's low ball forced George into a sharp save (52'), and Eddie Nketiah was denied by the Bromley goalkeeper after rounding him, with Johnson's follow-up also kept out (61').

But on 62 minutes, the game turned. A long kick forward from George evaded Mofe Jemide's header, allowing Adeboyejo to run in behind and lob Joe Whitworth for the opener (62').

Palace continued to waste chances — Danny Imray headed wide, Nketiah was denied by substitute goalkeeper Dillon Addai, and Joel Drakes-Thomas steered wide from Nketiah's pull-back — before being punished again. Ethon Archer seized on a loose Cheick Doucouré pass, drew a foul inside the box from the Mali midfielder, and Adeboyejo slammed home the penalty (74').

Nketiah then hit the bar (80') before Nicke Kabamba headed home from close range (86') to complete the scoring.

FT: Bromley 3-0 Crystal Palace

Adeboyejo's 62nd-minute opener, scored from a routine long ball that Jemide failed to deal with, was the moment Palace's profligacy caught up with them. Until then, the Premier League side had created enough to be out of sight — George made five saves in the first half alone — but the defensive lapse gifted Bromley the lead, and Palace never recovered.

Victor Adeboyejo (Bromley) — Player of the Match. Two goals (62', 74' pen) from two shots on target, the first a composed lob after a defensive error, the second a confidently struck penalty.

Shamal George / Dillon Addai (Bromley) — George made five first-half saves including a fingertip stop from Cardines and a double denial of França and Esse. Addai, his replacement, produced excellent stops from Imray and Nketiah shortly after coming on.

Matheus França (Crystal Palace) — The Brazilian was Palace's most dangerous attacker in the first half, forcing three saves from George, but fluffed his lines on multiple occasions, including blazing over from Rak-Sakyi's chest-down (28').

The 0-0 half-time scoreline was deeply misleading. Palace generated an xG well above what the 0-0 score suggests — Cardines, França (three times), Rak-Sakyi, and Devenny all had meaningful chances inside the opening 31 minutes. Bromley's three goals came from three shots on target in the second half (62', 74' pen, 86'), illustrating a clinical edge Palace entirely lacked. The hosts made 11 substitutions to Palace's 11, but the defining difference was finishing: Bromley converted when it mattered, Palace did not.

For Crystal Palace, this is a reality check in Sage's second pre-season friendly, following a 5-1 win over Swindon Town (18 July 2026). The Eagles' next pre-season fixture is not yet confirmed, but the Premier League campaign begins in August. For Bromley, preparing for their second League One season, this represents a statement result against a Premier League opponent. Bromley's League One season starts on 15 August 2026 away at Barnsley.

A scoreline that flatters Bromley only in that Palace created enough to win comfortably. Sage will be concerned by the defensive lapse for the opener and the sheer volume of missed chances, but the football was there — the finishing was not. Pre-season results matter little, but the pattern of wastefulness is one to monitor.