Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their first-ever European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Without key players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable result that all but guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS should be enough to secure straight passage to the last 16, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a platform for several Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their domestic season were outmatched even for a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners were already weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
Despite torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move 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 came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal striker did not have wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for development in his game.
The only 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 make his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
