Uche Ignites Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever continental adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Missing key figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually secures them a spot in the Conference League playoffs.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal direct entry to the last 16, especially following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a platform for several Palace's fringe talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a second, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved no match against a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were already depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee problems.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
Despite torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
