Christantus Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their maiden continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Without key players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding win that all but secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their next match against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to seal direct passage to the last 16, particularly after a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a second, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their league season proved outmatched even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The Londoners were already depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg problems.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.
