Christantus Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European adventure, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Missing star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel MuĂąoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding result that virtually secures them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next match against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to seal direct entry to the last 16, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This match offered a chance for several Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved no match against a largely rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and MuĂąoz are sidelined with knee problems.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the appeals.
The formerArsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being gathered 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 late injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
