Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Without star figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable result that virtually secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further three points in their next match against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal direct entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a platform for several Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their league season were no match against a largely rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were already weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee problems.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, driving a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute 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 strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late 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 night for the visiting side.
