Christantus Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden continental adventure, Crystal Palace are learning at a rapid pace. Without star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a commanding result that virtually guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This match provided a platform for several Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved outmatched against a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners 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 slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, 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.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
