Uche Ignites Comfortable Crystal Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable result that virtually secures them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Another three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be enough to seal straight entry to the last 16, especially following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for several Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved outmatched against a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were already depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of heavy 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 simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal striker did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.
