Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their first-ever continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning at a rapid pace. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually secures them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Another three points in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal direct passage to the knockout stages, especially after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a chance for several Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second game in succession.
The Shelbourne side that had finished their league season were no match against a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, fizzing a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
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.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still scope for development in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.