Christantus Uche Sparks Straightforward Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Without key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a commanding result that virtually guarantees them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their upcoming fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal straight passage to the knockout stages, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Moment
This occasion offered a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning since joining on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season proved no match even for a largely second-string Palace lineup. The Londoners were already depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Dominance 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 incisive pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close minutes later, fizzing a powerful shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently claimed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had struck the post.
Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for a couple of robust challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the woodwork with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, coach Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key players like Kamada and Wharton. Substitute Romain Esse almost scoring with his very first touch, only to see his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still room for development in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, capping an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.