Christantus Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Missing star figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a commanding win that all but guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next match against Finnish KuPS should be enough to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved no match against a largely rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were already weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Established from the Start
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close minutes later, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring with his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the visiting side.
