Christantus Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning at a rapid pace. Missing star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually guarantees them a place in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight passage to the last 16, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved outmatched even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Dominance Asserted from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the protests.
The formerArsenal striker didn't need to wait long to find his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
