Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Missing star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next match against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight passage to the knockout stages, especially after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Moment
This occasion provided a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne team that had concluded their domestic season proved no match against a mostly second-string Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee problems.
Dominance Established from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape 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 Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive evening for the visiting side.
