Uche Ignites Straightforward Crystal Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Without star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but guarantees them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
Another victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to secure direct passage to the knockout stages, especially after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This occasion offered a platform for several Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season were no match even for a largely rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were already weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his very 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 then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.
