Crystal Palace boosted their hopes of securing a top-eight finish in the Conference League standings after coasting to a 3-0 win over Shelbourne at the Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Thursday.

Christantus Uche marked his first Palace start with an early opening goal, before Eddie Nketiah and Yéremy Pino put the Premier League side in total control ahead of the break.

Palace -- looking to avoid a play-off round in February - could have added to their tally in the second half, but substitute Romain Esse saw his shot come back of both posts.

Oliver Glasner's side have nine points and sit ninth, just one point behind a group of five teams above them, ahead of a final league-phase fixture at home to KuPS of Finland.

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Palace had swept into the lead in the 11th minute.

Marc Guéhi fed Daichi Kamada who then played Nketiah clear down the left channel and he cut the ball back across toward the penalty spot for Uche to knock it past Shelbourne keeper Wessel Speel.

Palace doubled their advantage in the 25th minute.

Pino played another defence-splitting pass to send Uche into the penalty area. His angled chip over the keeper came back off the base of the far post - and was tapped in by Nketiah.

Shelbourne --- winless in the opening four league phase fixtures, with just a point -- had seen their domestic season in the Republic of Ireland finish in November, and were in danger of being over-run.

Palace defender Chris Richards sent a towering header from a corner crashing against the crossbar.

It was 3-0 in the 37th minute when Pino charged forward to the edge of the box and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.

Palace almost had a fourth just a couple of minutes after the restart.

Uche charged down a clearance from Speel and the ball bounced across to Nketiah, but the Shelbourne keeper recovered his ground to scramble a save at the far post.

Shelbourne eventually regrouped and gave their supporters some action in the Palace box when Kerr McInroy's low cross from the right was just too far ahead of Sean Boyd as the striker slid in at the far post.

Palace substitute Esse was then out of luck when his low shot bounced off the inside of the right-hand post, went back across the line and then hit the other upright but just would not roll in.

With 22 minutes left, Uche looked certain to get his second goal of the night when he spun inside the penalty area, but then blazed over from close range.

Palace stand-in goalkeeper Walter Benítez was finally called into meaningful action in stoppage time when he made a smart reaction save to deny Daniel Kelly after a deep free-kick was flicked on into the penalty area.