With Duff watching on, Palace's class tells early and often to end Shels' European hopes

Time is a healer as former manager watches on for the first time since his departure but it was all one-way traffic as FA Cup winners ease to 3-0 win

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025 - 22:24

John Fallon

UEFA Conference League: SHELBOURNE 0 CRYSTAL PALACE 3

On a night the first throw of the World Championship darts series was flung, Shelbourne were officially hurtled out of Europe.

Late concessions – all from around the hour mark – were responsible for the 2024 champions losing three Conference League games on the spin but an early barrage cost them a fourth-straight reverse in their penultimate fixture.

Crystal Palace possess a squad gilded in such quality that make rivals in most countries, never mind Ireland, envious and they were able to shuffle them at the break with the outcome well and truly affirmed.

Adam Wharton was one of the trio called ashore, spared by Oliver Glasner for the second half of a contest they’re unlikely to encounter this season for ease.

Once two slick passes dissected the Shels defence to allow Christantus Uche to sidefoot home the opener on 11 minutes, any fanciful thoughts of an upset – and a belated Reds reprieve in the table – were jettisoned.

Former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah tapped in the second on 25 minutes before Spanish international Yéremy Pino was given the freedom of Tallaght to rampage through the defence to add a third 12 minutes later.

This was the fixture circled by Shels fans from their first league phase draw in August but the visiting contingent among the 10,143 had every right to mock the hosts by chanting about which of the teams was the star attraction.

While Shels' season is winding down, next week’s final trip to Celje being a dead rubber, the season is only motoring for the FA Cup winners.

Glasner has tempered the expectation affixed to their rise into fifth place around squad depth limitations and rotation was duly applied for the first of 10 games over the space of the next month.

Even veteran Walter Benitez got his first European run-out for his new club, affording Dean Henderson a rest, but the Argentinian goalkeeper was a mere bystander.

Shels took until the 90th minute to muster their first attempt on target but the reasons for not extending their odyssey into 2026, like Shamrock Rovers did last year, perished on disappointing defeats to Shkëndija (North Macedonia) and FC Drita (Kosovans).

Realistically, six points were essential to build upon the scoreless draw they began this phase with against Swedish Cup holders BK Hacken. At least the run surpassed the €4m mark in prize money, with more available on their Slovenian swansong.

Damien Duff had led them into the champions path of Europe’s premier competition, only to quit in June before the campaign began, but his first appearance at a Shels game since leaving indicated time is a healer.

His replacement, former assistant Joey O’Brien, eschewed the notion of fear against a side so superior in riches but the gulf was soon evident.

Marc Guéhi was passed to start and from defence he initiated the move on 11 minutes that saw Daichi Kamada and Nketiah involved. The latter squared perfectly for Uche to apply the final touch on a flowing move. Shels were shredded far too comfortably in that sweep but it got worse as they were dragged asunder.

Nigerian Uche was getting his chance to lead the attack in the absence of injured Frenchman Jean-Philippe Mateta and he was presented with extra space for the second.

Pino caused the damage by freeing the lone striker whose hook on the stretch beat Wessel Speel but not the post. He was relieved from his position on the turf to see fellow attacker Nketiah follow up to tap the rebound in.

Pino has only turned 23 and battled back from a serious injury to shine. A combination of his class and a hesitant Shels rearguard led to the third, as he waltzed past Kameron Ledwidge and Kerr McInroy through the centre. Speel ought to have done better too when diving to his right.

Three goals in 26 minutes wrapped up the outcome, facilitating a lesson in keepball by the English visitors for their first competitive match in Ireland.

Both posts prevented substitute Romain Esse swelling the margin, which was more convincing than even the scoreline suggested. A three-goal deficit, in the circumstances, wasn’t the humiliation it might have descended to.

Back to a similar standard for Shels next week, albeit Albert Riera’s Celje already scalped Rovers in this campaign.

SHELBOURNE: W Speel; M Mbeng (E Chapman 81), M Coyle (S Gannon 75), P Barrett, K Ledwidge (T Wilson 59), E Caffrey; K McInroy, JH Francis; H Wood (L Temple 81), J Martin (D Kelly 59), S Boyd.

CRYSTAL PALACE: W Benitez; C Richards, M Lacroix, M Guéhi; J Devenny (B Casey 82), D Kamada (W Hughes 46), A Wharton (J Lerma 46), B Sosa; Y Pino (R Esse 46), E Nketiah (N Clyne 67); C Uche.

Referee: Martin Matoša (SVN)

Attendance: 10,143.