Christantus Uche Sparks Comfortable Crystal Palace Win at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are adapting at a rapid pace. Missing star players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable result that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another victory in their next match against Finnish KuPS should be enough to seal straight entry to the last 16, particularly after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Opportunity
This occasion provided a platform for several Palace's fringe talent to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a second, finding the net for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne team that had finished their domestic season were outmatched against a mostly second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners were further weakened by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee problems.
Control Established from the Start
In spite of heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A flowing move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful effort over the bar. Nketiah then claimed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the official dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from close range after Uche's effort 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 powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The contest was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, but saw his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a glaring chance, showing there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, capping an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
