Uche Sparks Straightforward Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their first-ever European campaign, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Without key figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel MuƱoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding win that all but secures them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Opportunity
This occasion provided a platform for some of Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their league season were outmatched against a largely second-string Palace lineup. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and MuƱoz are out with knee problems.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had hit the post.
The home side were hanging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Contest
The contest 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 keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche then blazed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
