Christantus Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their first-ever continental adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to secure straight passage to the knockout stages, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This match provided a platform for some of Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second game in succession.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved no match even for a largely second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still scope for development in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
