Christantus Uche Fuels Straightforward Crystal Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their first-ever continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a commanding result that all but guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their next match against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure straight passage to the knockout stages, particularly following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their league season proved no match against a largely second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
Despite torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close minutes later, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for a couple of agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
