Uche Fuels Comfortable Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their first-ever continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side 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 commanding win that virtually secures them a place in the Conference League playoffs.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal straight passage to the last 16, especially following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Opportunity
This match offered a chance for several Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second consecutive succession.
A Shelbourne team that had concluded their league season were no match even for a mostly rotated Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Dominance Established from the Start
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, initiated by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the protests.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two robust tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past a series of weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off each posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
