Uche Sparks Dominant Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever European campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting at a rapid pace. Without star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next match against Finland's KuPS should be enough to secure straight entry to the last 16, especially after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This occasion provided a platform for several Palace's lesser-used talent to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne team that had concluded their league season proved outmatched even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Control Established from the Start
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster 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 waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Game
The match was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of comically weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse came close to scoring with his first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.