Christantus Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever European adventure, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding win that virtually secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to secure straight entry to the last 16, particularly after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Opportunity
This match provided a platform for several Palace's fringe talent to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved outmatched even for a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners were further depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the appeals.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only 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 earn his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.
