Christantus Uche Ignites Straightforward Crystal Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their first-ever continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Missing key figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a commanding win that virtually guarantees them a place in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight passage to the last 16, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season were no match against a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The Londoners were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
The formerArsenal striker 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. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved 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 took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.