Christantus Uche Sparks Comfortable Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their first-ever continental adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting at a rapid pace. Without star figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their next match against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This occasion provided a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a clinical finish. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne side that had finished their domestic season were outmatched against a largely rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were already weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg problems.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a glaring chance, showing 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 allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
