Christantus Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Triumph at Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden continental adventure, Crystal Palace are learning at a rapid pace. Missing star figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding win that all but guarantees them a spot in the Conference League playoffs.
Another three points in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal straight entry to the last 16, especially following a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match provided a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved no match even for a mostly second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg problems.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
