Christantus Uche Sparks Straightforward Crystal Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Without key figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel MuƱoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding win that virtually secures them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal direct passage to the knockout stages, especially after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season proved no match against a largely rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the news that Mateta and MuƱoz are out with leg injuries.
Dominance Established from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. 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.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
