Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their first-ever continental adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting at a rapid pace. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding result that virtually guarantees them a place in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a platform for several Palace's fringe talent to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a second, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season proved no match even for a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Control Established from the Start
Despite torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
A solitary concern 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 make his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
