Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden European adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to secure direct entry to the last 16, particularly following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for several Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a second, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne side that had finished their league season were outmatched even for a largely rotated Palace outfit. The Londoners were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee 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, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal striker did not have wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring with his first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive evening for the traveling side.
