Crystal Palace may be playing in football’s top flight, but their superstars were no match for their young opponents when it came to powerchair football.

Hosted by the Crystal Palace FC Foundation, the session saw Welsh international Joe Ledley and goalkeeper Julian Speroni line up in powered wheelchairs against four disabled youngsters for a competitive half-hour match.

The game, played indoors with a larger size nine football between two teams of four, is fast-moving, with players needing to adopt the same co-ordination, speed and ball control as found in football.

And despite the vocal support of Palace first-team players Jason Puncheon and Zeki Fryers from the sidelines, Speroni and Ledley were on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat.

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Ledley said: “It was very hard, the chairs are very nippy, but also very enjoyable.

“It’s a pleasure for us to go out there and experience [the game].

“It gets the youngsters out and about, it’s sociable and it’s a fantastic sport. It was an honour to play with them.”

Speroni added: “We want to help these youngsters with the challenges they face.

“They see us playing football every week on TV and they can do the same here, which is fantastic.”

Powerchair football is close to Speroni’s heart - he donated two specially-designed powerchairs, which can cost up to £8,000 each, to the Crystal Palace FC Foundation from his testimonial last year.

Joel Sprouse, 13, who attends St Andrews CE school in Croydon, and is a regular powerchair footballer, said: ‘It was pretty cool to be playing against players from the Premier League.

“To those considering taking the sport up, there’s no point missing out. And a big thank you to the Crystal Palace FC Foundation for supplying the chairs."

The evening, at Waddon Leisure Centre in Purley Way, Waddon, was one of the regular weekly powerchair football sessions hosted by the Crystal Palace FC Foundation, which delivers a comprehensive sports and educational programme throughout a number of London boroughs.

Foundation chairman David Groves said: “It was absolutely brilliant, we’ve had disabled children playing against Premier League superstars which is the chance of a lifetime.

“You only have to look at the children’s faces, they’re all Palace fans.

“We’re here to help and support, this is an opportunity for everyone - sport is for all."