Uche Sparks Comfortable Crystal Palace Victory at Shelbourne.
Even though embarking on their maiden continental campaign, Crystal Palace are learning very quickly. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the Eagles left Dublin with a commanding result that all but secures them a spot in the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Another three points in their upcoming match against Finnish KuPS should be enough to secure straight passage to the last 16, especially following a previous stumble against Strasbourg.
Fringe Players Grasp the Opportunity
This occasion provided a platform for some of Palace's lesser-used talent to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second start after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a clinical goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, scoring for the second game in succession.
The Shelbourne side that had concluded their league season were outmatched against a largely rotated Palace lineup. The visitors were further weakened by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Control Asserted from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A slick move in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to set up Uche for a straightforward finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, driving a long-range shot over the bar. Nketiah then claimed 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 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 agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards struck the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.
Pino Seals the Game
The contest was as good as over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly dispatching a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest key individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his very first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
Esse was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one shot strike off both posts before being gathered on the line. Uche also missed a sitter of a chance, indicating there is still scope for improvement in his game.
A solitary worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This allowed 17-year-old striker Benji Casey to earn his senior debut, capping an otherwise positive evening for the traveling side.
