Shelbourne 0-3 Crystal Palace Player Ratings: Eddie Nketiah 9/10 Rated as Eagles Run Riot in 3-0 Victory

Crystal Palace delivered a first-half masterclass to dismantle Shelbourne in a commanding 3-0 victory in the Europa Conference League. The match, held at Tallaght Stadium, was effectively over before the halftime whistle.

The Eagles wasted no time asserting their dominance. Christantus Uche broke the deadlock just 11 minutes in, setting the tone for what was to come. The onslaught continued, with the brilliant Eddie Nketiah doubling the lead at the 25-minute mark. It really felt like Shelbourne had no answer to Palace's attacking fluidity.

The final nail in the coffin was hammered in by Yéremy Pino in the 37th minute, capping off a breathtaking first-half performance. The second half saw Palace manage the game professionally, creating more chances and even hitting the woodwork twice, while the hosts struggled to lay a glove on them. This was a statement win for Crystal Palace in this encounter. Here are Sportsdunia's Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace player ratings.

Crystal Palace Player Ratings vs Shelbourne

Check out the Crystal Palace player ratings for the Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace fixture.

Goalkeeper

Walter Benítez - 6.5: Honestly, he could have brought a book to read. He had one save to make all game, which he dealt with comfortably. What stood out to us was his distribution, which was tidy and initiated a few moves from the back. It's tough to rate a keeper on a night this quiet. He did everything asked of him, which wasn't much. A spectator for large parts of the game.

Defenders

Maxence Lacroix - 7.5: A rock at the back. We noticed he was dominant in the air, winning 6 of his 9 aerial duels. He was composed on the ball with a 92% pass accuracy and made several key clearances. He looked so comfortable, and his partnership with Guéhi was seamless. A very strong and untroubled performance from the Frenchman.

Marc Guéhi - 7.0: The captain led by example with a calm and collected display. He was a bit quieter than his partner but his positioning was immaculate, cutting out danger before it even started. His passing was crisp, maintaining a 93% accuracy. He was unlucky to be flagged for offside on one of his forward runs. A solid, if unspectacular, outing.

Chris Richards - 8.0: An all-action performance from the American. He was a monster in the duels, winning 10 of 12, and contributed at both ends of the pitch. We were so impressed by his energy. He created two chances and was desperately unlucky to see his powerful header crash back off the crossbar in the first half. He deserved a goal for his efforts, a truly commanding display.

Midfielders

Daichi Kamada - 7.5: Only played 45 minutes but his quality was evident. He floated around the pitch, linking play effortlessly and picking up an assist for the opening goal. His vision to create two key passes showed his class. From our perspective, he was taken off at halftime simply to rest him for bigger games to come. A tidy and effective half of football.

Adam Wharton - 7.0: Another player who only featured for the first half, but he was very impressive. He controlled the tempo from deep, rarely misplacing a pass. He wasn't afraid to get forward either, having a couple of shots and creating two chances for his teammates. He looks like a special talent, and we were disappointed to see him subbed so early, even if it was precautionary.

Borna Sosa - 7.5: A constant menace down the left flank. He was excellent defensively, winning all five of his tackles, including a last-man tackle. Going forward, he delivered a barrage of crosses and created two big chances. His work rate was phenomenal. A complete wing-back performance that gave Shelbourne nightmares all evening.

Justin Devenny - 7.0: He had a very busy night, and looked a bit chaotic at times, but was generally effective before his injury. He lost possession a fair bit, but his willingness to try things made him a threat. He was unlucky not to score, missing a big chance from a header. It's a shame his night ended early due to injury, as he was growing into the game.

Forwards

Eddie Nketiah - 9.0: Simply sensational and our man of the match. He was a constant threat for the 67 minutes he was on the pitch. He scored a poacher's goal, provided an assist, and could have had a hat-trick with 6 shots in total. His movement was too much for the opposition defence to handle. A truly complete centre-forward performance. What stood out to us was his relentless hunger.

Yéremy Pino - 8.5: Electrifying. In just 45 minutes, he scored a goal, created three big chances, and terrorized the Shelbourne right-back. His pace and trickery were a joy to watch. He was the creative spark for everything good Palace did in the first half. We were surprised he was substituted at halftime, as he looked unplayable. A dazzling display.

Christantus Uche - 8.0: A powerhouse performance. He got the ball rolling with a well-taken goal and was a physical handful throughout. He had six shots in total and even hit the woodwork, showing his desire to get on the scoresheet. He was a bit wasteful at times, but his raw power and directness caused so many problems. A very exciting player to watch.

Manager

O. Glasner - 8.0: He got his tactics spot on. His team came out with incredible intensity and blew Shelbourne away in the first half. The game plan was executed to perfection. His decision to make several changes at halftime was smart, protecting key players with the game already won. A perfect European away day for the manager.

Shelbourne Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace

Check out the Shelbourne player ratings for the Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace fixture.

Goalkeeper

Wessel Speel - 7.0: This might seem like a high rating for a keeper who conceded three, but it could have been six or seven without him. He made six saves, some of which were top-class stops to deny Nketiah. He was let down badly by the defence in front of him. His error leading to a shot was a blot on his copybook, but he kept the scoreline respectable.

Defenders

Kameron Ledwidge - 5.0: Struggled badly against the pace and trickery of Yéremy Pino and Chris Richards. He was caught out of position multiple times and committed a couple of fouls out of desperation. He did make a few clearances but it was a really tough evening for him before he was subbed off. Just couldn't cope with Palace's quality.

Mark Coyle - 5.5: As captain, he tried to rally his troops but it was a thankless task. He made a couple of important interceptions and clearances. However, he was part of a defence that was completely overwhelmed. A clumsy foul earned him a yellow card. A difficult night at the office for the skipper.

Milan Mbeng - 6.0: Probably the best of a bad bunch in defence. He won a decent number of his duels and showed some fight. He even tried to drive his team forward with a few dribbles. But ultimately, he was part of a backline that was torn apart in the first half. He put in the effort, which is more than can be said for some.

Paddy Barrett - 4.5: A night to forget. From our perspective, he was the worst performer on the pitch. He was consistently caught out, conceded corners needlessly, and looked off the pace. Being dribbled past twice and losing possession 11 times tells its own story. He looked completely out of his depth against the likes of Nketiah.

Midfielders

Jack Henry-Francis - 5.0: The midfield was completely bypassed for most of the game, and he was a passenger. He lost the ball far too often and struggled to make any impact. He made a couple of clearances and tackles, but he was chasing shadows for 90 minutes. A really tough learning experience for him.

Kerr McInroy - 5.0: Similar to his midfield partners, he was overrun and ineffective. He was dispossessed twice and lost 10 possessions, which is not good enough at this level. He had a speculative shot off target but offered very little else. Looked frustrated and couldn't get a foothold in the game at all.

Evan Caffrey - 5.5: Showed some nice touches in tight spaces but it was all too infrequent. He tried to get on the ball but was often crowded out by a superior Palace midfield. He worked hard off the ball, but his impact on it was minimal. A learning curve against top-quality opposition.

Forwards

Harry Wood - 6.0: He worked hard and tried to make things happen, but he was feeding off scraps. He put in a few crosses and tracked back well, making some important clearances. It was a thankless task leading the line with so little service. Can't fault his effort, but the quality wasn't there.

Sean Boyd - 5.5: He was a physical presence and won a surprising number of duels, drawing seven fouls. However, his contribution in an attacking sense was almost zero. He was isolated and battled gamely, but he couldn't hold up the ball or bring others into play effectively. A frustrating night of chasing lost causes.

John Martin - 5.0: Barely had a touch of the ball in his 59 minutes on the pitch. He was anonymous and offered no threat whatsoever. He was dispossessed and just couldn't get involved in the game. An easy decision for the manager to substitute him.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match Goes to Eddie Nketiah