Uche Fuels Comfortable Crystal Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden European adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Without star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding result that all but guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS should be enough to secure straight entry to the last 16, particularly following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a second, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their domestic season were no match against a largely second-string Palace outfit. The visitors were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the official waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
