Uche Fuels Comfortable Crystal Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their maiden European campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal direct passage to the last 16, especially after a prior setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This occasion offered a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second start since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah added a another, finding the net for the second game in succession.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season were no match even for a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The visitors were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee problems.
Dominance Asserted from the Start
Despite torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee waved away the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's shot had struck the post.
Shelbourne were clinging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to escape a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring his first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a glaring chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, capping an otherwise positive evening for the visiting side.
