Ilias Chair proved decisive once again, finding the back of the net twice as Queens Park Rangers rallied from an early setback to defeat Portsmouth 3-1, securing their first triumph at Fratton Park in a quarter of a century. The visitors began the match on the back foot, with the home side asserting dominance in the opening thirty minutes.
Their pressure paid off when Terry Devlin unleashed a powerful long‑range strike that left the QPR keeper, Pierce Charles, with no chance, giving Pompey a deserved lead. However, the tide turned dramatically before the interval. Within a fifteen‑minute spell, QPR produced three goals, overturning the deficit and achieving their first away win against Portsmouth since May 2000.
The match saw several notable line‑up changes: Portsmouth introduced their £2.5 million signing Abu Kamara into the starting eleven, while QPR handed league debuts to goalkeeper Pierce Charles and midfielder Boy Kemper. The early moments were eventful.
Adrian Segecic’s opening corner was met by Conor Shaughnessy, whose header went wide, and summer acquisition Luke Brooke‑Smith responded with a blistering 25‑yard effort that was comfortably caught by Charles. The first real chance for QPR arrived in the 12th minute when a Portsmouth corner was poorly cleared, allowing Chair to strike, only to see his effort blocked at the line by Ebou Adams.
Portsmouth’s advantage materialised three minutes later when Northern Ireland international Terry Devlin curled a spectacular 30‑yard shot into the top corner of Charles’ net, putting the home side 1‑0 up. The crowd of nearly 21,000, basking in the south‑coast sunshine, seemed to relish the early dominance. The visitors began to find their rhythm.
Segecic displayed his creativity by linking up with Colby Bishop, whose clever flick‑on set up a dangerous cross that Brooke‑Smith failed to connect with cleanly. A subsequent chance saw Segecic fire a shot wide under pressure from Jake Clarke‑Salter after a promising through‑ball from Kamara. Just before the break, QPR equalised in an unexpected manner.
Chair, left unmarked near the penalty area, tapped in a point‑blank finish from a Harvey Vale cross, restoring parity at 1‑1. The home fans were left stunned when, seven minutes later, Koki Saito’s effort from just inside the box ricocheted off both Devlin and Rocco Shein, wrong‑footing goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid and nudging the score to 2‑1 in favour of the visitors. The decisive blow came in first‑half stoppage time. Chair completed his brace, calmly slotting home another simple finish from an Amadou Mbengue cross after Portsmouth’s defence continued to falter.
The goal gave QPR a 3‑1 lead heading into the dressing rooms. The second half offered Portsmouth a glimmer of hope.
Early on, Charles found Kamara with a straightforward pass, but the striker’s half‑hearted shot was comfortably saved by Charles himself, who had the goal almost to himself. Despite this missed opportunity, the home side never truly threatened again. Substitute Josh Murphy managed to force a shot into the side netting and produced two attempts that clanged against the woodwork, but the visitors’ defence held firm.
Post‑match reactions highlighted the contrasting emotions. Portsmouth captain John Mousinho described the game as "really strange," noting that his side controlled the first quarter‑hour and deserved the early lead. He admitted that after conceding, the team lost its intensity, made poor decisions and failed to dominate as they had initially.
"We created some good chances in the second half but also gave away too many opportunities," he added, acknowledging that they had set themselves too many tasks. QPR manager Julien Stephan praised his team's composure in a notoriously hostile venue. He remarked, "Portsmouth started very strongly in the first 15 or 20 minutes but they could not sustain that tempo for the whole game.
What I appreciate most is the calmness of the players and how they stuck to the plan." Stephan highlighted the efficiency of his side after the opening goal, noting that they capitalised on the second and third chances. He also reflected on the missed opportunity to add a fourth, saying, "If we had scored then we could have killed the game." Nonetheless, he remained optimistic, stating that the squad needed to improve in some areas but overall he was positive about the performance.
Man of the match honors went to Ilias Chair, whose two goals were pivotal. He was denied a hat‑trick when Nicolas Schmid made a smart leg‑save at the near post. The match also saw Boy Kemper forced off with an injury after only twenty minutes of play, underscoring the physical demands of the contest. In summary, QPR’s comeback showcased resilience and clinical finishing, while Portsmouth’s early promise faded after a lapse in concentration.
The victory not only broke a 26‑year winless streak at Fratton Park but also provided a morale‑boosting start to the season for the London club.