Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Without star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a commanding win that virtually secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be enough to secure direct passage to the last 16, especially after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved outmatched against a largely rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were already weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, prodding 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 avoid a booking for a couple of robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room 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 senior debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
