Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Win at Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever continental campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting at a rapid pace. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Another victory in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS should be enough to secure direct passage to the last 16, especially after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Moment
This match offered a chance for several Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, finding the net for the second game in succession.
The Shelbourne team that had concluded their domestic season proved no match even for a largely second-string Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee waved away the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
