Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding result that all but guarantees them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be enough to seal direct passage to the knockout stages, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This occasion provided a chance for some of Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season were outmatched even for a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the official waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from 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 took the chance to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
