Christantus Uche Sparks Comfortable Crystal Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden European campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Missing star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding result that all but guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
A further three points in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This match offered a platform for some of Palace's fringe players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a clinical goal. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved outmatched even for a largely rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Control Established from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly 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 tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the area, but the referee waved away the protests.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive evening for the visiting side.
