Jimmy Conway remembered at Fulham, but their applause spoke for Portland too

Fans pay tribute to Jimmy Conway, the Irish winger who died this week

Fulham slumped to an unexpected home defeat to bottom side Barnsley. The visitors thoroughly deserved their 3-0 win, posing the question where has this team been all year? Cauley Woodrow scored twice and Jacob Brown once for the visitors.

Perhaps overshadowing the loss for older fans was a more emotional loss following news of the death of Jimmy Conway. A minute’s applause before the game allowed fans to express their gratitude for the years he put in at the club but they spoke for many in Portland, Cascadia where this site began its life.

Fulham FC: Jimmy Conway Obituary

Portland Timbers FC: Tribute to Jimmy Conway

“Jimmy was all soccer,” Willie Anderson, the player who played on the opposite wing from Conway on that the first NASL Timbers team.

“That was his life. That’s all he talked about. That’s all he thought about.”

For Barnsley , a change to winning way could not have come sooner. Given that they finish their season with Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Brentford, they needed to start start picking up points soon. They defended superbly today and merited their reward.

Barnsley had been growing in confidence by the time they first went ahead. Conor Chaplin should have done better than fire tamely at Marek Rodak and Cauley Woodrow blasted over without even warming the Fulham keeper’s fingers.

The Tykes though deservedly took the lead in the 24th minute when Rodak conceded a needless penalty, with a pointlessly raised knee into Jacob Brown’s stomach, or perhaps aholding offence Woodrow converted the penalty.

The second half did not begin any better for Fulham with Chaplin close to latching on to a long through ball. Seconds later it was 2-0. Brown did beat Rodak to the chase to a Woodrow pass a long way out and the keeper could only watch in agony as the ball rolled into an unguarded net.

Chaplin missed a chance for it to be 3-0 when he scuffed a punted clearance from Brad Collins his own keeper, who came closer to an assist than any Fuham player hitherto.

The Tykes continued to make the better chances and the home fans’ despair grew. Ivan Cavaleiro fired wide when he had plenty time to get the ball under control and trouble Collins.

Aboubakar Kamara at least tested Collins on 73 but he was up to the task. Woodrow added Barnsley’s third after good work down the left, sliding the ball embarrassingly under Rodak.

Barnsley retain a fighting chance of keeping their record stay in England’s second tier alive. Fuham just have to wipe this one from the memory.

Barnsley take maximum points from Craven Cottage for the first time in 39 years and end a run of three straight losses.

Team Lineups

Fulham: Rodak, Hector, MacDonald, Mitrovic, Cairney (c), Ream, Cavaleiro. Bryan, Knockaert, Onomah, Steve Sessegnon Subs: Bettinelli, Odoi, Johansen, Decordova-Reid, Arter, Christie, Kamara

Barnsley: Collins, Jordan Williams, Brown, Woodrow, Bahre, Chaplin, Ludewig, Thomas, Sollbauer, Halme, Mowatt (c) Subs: Walton Ben Williams, Dougall, Schmidt, Oduor, Simoes, Marsh