Uche Fuels Straightforward Palace Triumph at Shelbourne.
Despite embarking on their maiden continental adventure, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Missing key players like forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and defender Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a comfortable win that all but guarantees them a place in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
Another three points in their upcoming match against Finland's KuPS should be sufficient to seal direct entry to the knockout stages, especially following a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Seize the Moment
This match offered a chance for some of Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, in only his second beginning after arriving on loan from Getafe, opened the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second consecutive succession.
The Shelbourne team that had finished their league season proved no match even for a largely rotated Palace outfit. The Londoners were further depleted by the reports that Mateta and Muñoz are sidelined with knee injuries.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace quickly established dominance. A slick passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, let Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Midfielder Adam Wharton came close soon after, driving a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the referee dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man didn't need to wait long to get his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's effort had hit the post.
The home side were hanging on desperately. Full-back Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to avoid a booking for two agricultural tackles on Yeremy Pino, before Chris Richards rattled the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Pino Wraps Up the Contest
The contest was as good as over eight minutes from half-time. Yeremy Pino meandered past a series of comically weak challenges before coolly slotting a shot past keeper Wessel Speel to make it 3-0.
Following the break, manager Oliver Glasner seized the opportunity to withdraw several players like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
The youngster was desperately unlucky later on, seeing one attempt strike off both posts before being clasped on the line. Uche also blazed a sitter of a chance, showing there is still scope for development in his game.
A solitary concern for Palace was a late injury to Justin Devenny, who was forced off. This allowed 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to make his senior debut, rounding off an otherwise positive night for the traveling side.
