Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a comfortable result that all but secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their upcoming fixture against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to secure direct entry to the knockout stages, especially after a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Opportunity
This match provided a platform for some of 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 well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their domestic season proved no match even for a largely second-string Palace outfit. The visitors were already weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for two agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being gathered 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 striker Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
