Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their first-ever European campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable 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 enough to secure direct entry to the last 16, especially following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season were no match against a largely rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were already depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee problems.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach 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, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still scope for development in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
