Christantus Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Triumph at Shelbourne.
Despite entering their first-ever European adventure, Crystal Palace are adapting very quickly. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding result that all but guarantees them a spot in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS ought to be enough to secure straight entry to the last 16, particularly following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for some of Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, finding the net for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their league season were no match even for a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners were already weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with leg injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, driving a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the official waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
