Christantus Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Missing star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding win that all but guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another three points in their upcoming match against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure direct entry to the knockout stages, particularly following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their league season were outmatched even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, driving a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive evening for the traveling side.
