Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side 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 result that all but guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure direct entry to the last 16, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This match offered a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their league season were no match even for a largely second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the protests.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy 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 dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, indicating there is still scope for development 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 first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
