Christantus Uche Sparks Straightforward Palace Victory at Irish Side Shelbourne.
Despite entering their maiden continental campaign, Oliver Glasner's side are adapting at a rapid pace. Without key figures like striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and wing-back Daniel Muñoz, the London club left Dublin with a commanding win that virtually secures them a spot in the Conference League qualifying rounds.
A further victory in their next fixture against Finnish KuPS ought to be sufficient to seal straight entry to the knockout stages, especially after a prior stumble against Strasbourg.
Squad Members Grasp the Moment
This match offered a platform for some of Palace's fringe players to shine. Christantus Uche, making only his second beginning since arriving on loan from Getafe, notched the scoring with a well-taken goal. Forward Eddie Nketiah contributed a another, finding the net for the second game in match.
The Shelbourne team that had concluded their domestic season were no match against a mostly second-string Palace outfit. The visitors were further depleted by the news that Mateta and Muñoz are out with leg injuries.
Control Established from the Outset
In spite of torrential rain in Dublin, Palace rapidly established dominance. A flowing passing sequence in the 11th minute, sparked by Daichi Kamada's clever pass, allowed Nketiah to lay on Uche for a simple finish.
Youngster Adam Wharton went close soon after, fizzing a long-range effort over the bar. Nketiah then appealed for a penalty after racing into the box, but the official dismissed the protests.
Ex-Arsenal man did not have wait long to find his goal, prodding home from a yard out after Uche's shot had hit the post.
The home side were clinging on desperately. Defender Kameron Ledwidge was fortunate to avoid 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 Contest
The match was effectively over eight minutes before half-time. Yeremy Pino weaved past some comically weak challenges before calmly dispatching a shot past goalkeeper Wessel Speel to extend the lead to 3-0.
After the break, manager Oliver Glasner took the chance to rest several individuals like Kamada and Wharton. Replacement Romain Esse came close to scoring with his first touch, only to see his effort blocked.
The youngster was incredibly unlucky later on, seeing one attempt crash off each posts before being gathered on the line. Uche then blazed a glaring chance, indicating there is still room for improvement in his game.
The only worry for Palace was a second-half knock to Justin Devenny, who limped off. This paved the way for 17-year-old forward Benji Casey to earn his first-team debut, rounding off an otherwise perfect evening for the visiting side.