Uche Ignites Comfortable Palace Win at Shelbourne.
Despite entering their first-ever continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Missing star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a commanding win that all but secures them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to secure direct entry to the last 16, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved no match even for a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were already depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Dominance Established from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed 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 claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official waved away the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork 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 meandered past a series of weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise perfect evening for the traveling side.
