Uche Ignites Comfortable Crystal Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their first-ever European adventure, Crystal Palace are learning at a rapid pace. Without star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles departed Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually secures them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS should be sufficient to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, particularly after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This match provided a platform for some of Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season proved outmatched even for a largely second-string Palace lineup. The visitors were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Dominance Asserted from the Outset
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the official dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also missed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive evening for the traveling side.
