Christantus Uche scored his first goal for Crystal Palace and provided an assist in their comfortable 3-0 win over Irish side Shelbourne FC in their UEFA Europa Conference League Matchday 5 clash at the 5,700-capacity Polka Park.
Uche, who has recently rediscovered the form that first caught Palace’s attention, opened the scoring in the 11th minute after being set up by Eddie Nketiah. In the 25th minute, he turned provider, as his initial effort rebounded kindly for Nketiah to tuck home Palace’s second goal.
Yeremy Pino added a third in the 37th minute, effectively putting the game beyond the hosts and securing a commanding victory for the Premier League side.
The win lifts Palace to ninth in the standings and keeps them in contention for an automatic Round of 16 playoff spot, while the defeat confirms Shelbourne’s elimination from the competition.
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Uche had a chance to double his tally in the 72nd minute after dancing past the defenders, but he fired over with a heavy strike.
Palace dominated proceedings and could have scored more, finishing with 29 shots, 10 on target, compared to Shelbourne’s five attempts, with only one on target in the 91st minute.
It was an encouraging performance for Uche, whom the club had previously considered sending back to La Liga side Girona after he initially struggled to settle in. The goal will provide a valuable boost to his confidence.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old was left out of the Super Eagles’ 28-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco later this month.
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