This might be Crystal Palace’s first European campaign but they are learning very quickly. Having arrived in Dublin missing some of their big-hitters including star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and the marauding wing-back Daniel Muñoz, they left with a comfortable victory that virtually assured them of a place in the Conference League playoffs.
Oliver Glasner has already said that he will play a weakened team against Finnish side KuPS in their final group stage match next week despite slipping up against Strasbourg on their last outing as Palace are in the middle of a marathon December in which they will play eight times. So it was heartening for him to see some of his fringe players shine, as Christantus Uche capped only his second start since joining on an initial loan from Getafe in the summer with a well-taken goal and Eddie Nketiah scored for the second game in succession.
A Shelbourne side that finished their domestic season last month were no match even for a largely second-string Palace, who had only 15 senior outfield players available with Mateta and Muñoz sidelined by knee injuries. Uche ended the evening being serenaded by the visiting support but Glasner is hoping there is plenty more to come from the Nigerian.
“One swallow doesn’t make a summer. So it was one swallow and it’s nice to see, but a few more I have to follow, then it will be summer,” he said.
Martial Godo’s first-half strike was enough to earn Strasbourg a 1-0 win at Aberdeen in the Conference League, ending the Scottish Premiership side's hopes of a playoff place.
Dimitar Mitov made several excellent saves – including one from the penalty spot – to keep the home side in the game but they ultimately slipped to defeat. Godo got the winner against the run of play in the 35th minute, taking a touch from Sam Amo-Ameyaw's defence-splitting pass before finding the bottom corner.
Aberdeen made a fast start, with Stuart Armstrong heavily involved. The former Scotland man intercepted a loose ball after 10 minutes and fed Marko Lazetic who saw his effort blocked. The hosts had the ball in the net after 14 minutes, Mats Knoester heading in an Armstrong corner at the far post – but a VAR check confirmed a handball.
Strasbourg's former Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell was denied by Mitov, before Adil Aouchiche pounced on further hesitation in the visiting defence to let rip from the edge of the area, hitting narrowly over. Aberdeen had the better of the first half but went in behind after Godo's sucker-punch of a strike.
Mitov flew across his goal early in the second half to deny Godo from a Guela Doué cross, then stuck out a paw to turn Godo’s deflected effort over the bar. Strasbourg had a great chance to double their lead from the penalty spot after 71 minutes, but Ismaël Doukouré saw his spot-kick saved by Mitov. PA Media
Thankfully there was no repeat of the unsavoury scenes in France when a minority of Palace fans were fighting among themselves before kick-off, although there was a banner behind the goal that read “Kick racists out of Palace”. Heavy rain in the Irish capital greeted the 1,800 who had made the trip, with the game being held at Shamrock Rovers’ Tallaght Stadium because Shelbourne’s Tolka Park ground does not meet Uefa requirements.
This is the first time Shelbourne have reached the league stage of a European competition but they had managed only one point and no goals from their first four matches. Manager Joey O’Brien – the former Bolton and West Ham defender who took over from Damien Duff in July – had urged his players to embrace the occasion in front of a sold-out crowd that included his former Republic of Ireland teammate.
It didn’t take long for Palace to establish their dominance despite the slippery surface. A flowing move in the 11th minute that was sparked by Daichi Kamada’s clever pass allowed Nketiah to lay the ball on a plate for Uche, who made no mistake with an excellent finish into the far corner. The lively Nketiah thought that he should have had a penalty when he raced into the area after being gifted possession but the Slovenian referee waved away his protests.
It wasn’t long before his name was on the scoresheet as the former Arsenal striker tapped home from a yard out after Uche, who had been played in by Yeremy Pino, had struck the post. Poor Shelbourne were hanging on for dear life. Kameron Ledwidge was lucky to escape a booking for two agricultural changes on Pino before Chris Richards struck the crossbar from a corner.
The game was in effect over as a contest eight minutes from half-time when Pino meandered past some comically weak challenges into the area and dispatched a shot past Wessel Speel, the on-loan Dutch goalkeeper.
The Spaniard, Kamada and Adam Wharton were withdrawn for the second half as Glasner took the opportunity to give them a rest, with Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma and Romain Esse replacing them. The latter almost scored with his first touch as Palace were quickly back into their groove but saw his shot blocked.
Esse, who has been used sparingly by Glasner since he joined form Millwall last year and looked like he had a point to prove, was desperately unlucky to see one effort strike both posts before being gratefully clasped by Speel on the goalline. Uche should have at least hit the target seconds later but a glaring miss showed he is still far from the finished article.
There were concerned looks on the Palace bench when Justin Devenny limped off late on as the 17-year-old striker Benji Casey was handed his debut on an otherwise perfect night for Glasner.
