Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Without star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding win that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal direct entry to the last 16, particularly after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a platform for several Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a second, scoring for the second consecutive match.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved no match even for a mostly second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were already depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Start
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some weak challenges before coolly 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 key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for development in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
