Uche Sparks Straightforward Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a commanding win that virtually guarantees them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS should be enough to seal straight entry to the last 16, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This match provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne team that had concluded their league season were no match against a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had hit the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for improvement 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 forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
