Christantus Uche Ignites Straightforward Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Even though entering their maiden continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are learning very quickly. Without star figures like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club departed Dublin with a comfortable win that all but secures them a place in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further three points in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to seal straight passage to the knockout stages, especially after a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This match provided a chance for some of Palace's lesser-used players to impress. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive match.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their domestic season were no match even for a mostly second-string Palace outfit. The Londoners were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with knee injuries.
Dominance Established from the Outset
Despite heavy rain in Dublin, Palace quickly took control. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close minutes later, driving a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after bursting into the box, but the referee waved away the appeals.
The formerArsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, tapping home from a yard out after Uche's shot had struck the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for a couple of agricultural challenges on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Yeremy Pino Seals the Game
The match was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike 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 concern for Palace was a late knock to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the visiting side.
