Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Missing star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to seal direct entry to the knockout stages, particularly after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This occasion provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season were no match even for a largely rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were already weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive evening for the visiting side.
