Christantus Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their first-ever continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are learning at a rapid pace. Missing star figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that virtually guarantees them a place in the Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next match against Finnish KuPS ought to be enough to secure direct passage to the knockout stages, especially following a previous setback against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Seize the Opportunity
This match provided a chance for several Palace's fringe talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning since arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the account with a clinical finish. Striker Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second game in match.
A Shelbourne side that had finished their domestic season were outmatched against a mostly rotated Palace lineup. The Londoners were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Asserted from the Start
In spite of 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 set up Uche for a simple tap-in.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah subsequently appealed for a penalty after racing into the area, but the official dismissed the appeals.
Ex-Arsenal striker did not have wait long to get his goal, tapping home from close range after Uche's effort had struck the post.
The home side 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 struck the woodwork with a header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Contest
The match was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past some weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse almost scoring his very first touch, but saw his shot blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only concern for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect night for the traveling side.
