Uche Sparks Comfortable Crystal Palace Triumph at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Without key figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable result that all but guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to seal direct entry to the last 16, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a second, scoring for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved outmatched even for a largely second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg problems.
Control Established from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal striker didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid a booking for two agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half injury 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 visiting side.