Uche Sparks Dominant Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting very quickly. Without star players like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a commanding win that all but secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their next fixture against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to secure straight passage to the knockout stages, particularly after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This occasion provided a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, making only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the account with a well-taken finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne team that had concluded their domestic season were no match even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The Londoners were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg problems.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, driving a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal striker did not have wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork 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 weaved past some weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive evening for the visiting side.
