Christantus Uche Ignites Comfortable Crystal Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a commanding win that all but guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to secure straight passage to the knockout stages, particularly following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Opportunity
This match provided a chance for some of Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their league season proved outmatched against a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee problems.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The match 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 extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late 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 perfect night for the traveling side.
