Ilias Chair proved decisive, finding the back of the net twice as Queens Park Rangers rallied from a one‑goal deficit to defeat Portsmouth 3‑1, securing their first victory at Fratton Park in 26 years. Portsmouth started the match brightly, dominating the first thirty minutes and taking the initiative.
Their early dominance was rewarded in the 15th minute when Northern Ireland international Terry Devlin unleashed a thunderous 30‑yard strike that curled into the top corner of QPR’s net, giving the home side a deserved lead. The visitors, however, responded with vigor.
Within fifteen minutes before the interval, QPR produced three goals, turning the game on its head and clinching a historic away win that they had not achieved since May 2000. Both teams introduced fresh faces. Portsmouth lined up new signing Abu Kamara, who arrived for a reported £2.5 million, while QPR gave league debuts to goalkeeper Pierce Charles and midfielder Boy Kemper.
The opening moments saw Adrian Segecic deliver a corner that Conor Shaughnessy headed wide, after which summer acquisition Luke Brooke‑Smith struck a powerful shot from 25 yards, only to see it comfortably saved by Charles. QPR’s first glimpse of a goal came in the 12th minute.
Portsmouth failed to clear a corner properly, and Chair’s effort was blocked at the line by Ebou Adams. Three minutes later, Devlin’s long‑range effort beat Charles, putting Portsmouth ahead. The atmosphere at Fratton Park was electric, with nearly 21,000 fans soaking up the south‑coast sunshine.
Portsmouth continued to press, and a cross from Zak Swanson to the far post nearly found Kamara, who was inches away from doubling the lead. Segecic remained a threat, latching onto a clever flick‑on from Colby Bishop and whipping in a cross that Brooke‑Smith failed to connect with cleanly. Later, after being set up by Kamara, Segecic tried a shot that sailed wide under pressure from Jake Clarke‑Salter. Just before the break, QPR seized the equaliser.
Chair found himself unmarked in the box and calmly toe‑poked the ball home from point‑blank range after a cross from Harvey Vale, leveling the score at 1‑1. The drama intensified seven minutes later when Koki Saito struck from just inside the penalty area. His shot ricocheted off both Devlin and Rocco Shein, wrong‑footing Portsmouth goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid and slipping into the net to give QPR a 2‑1 lead. In first‑half stoppage time, Chair completed his brace.
A cross from Amadou Mbengue was met with a simple finish from Chair, extending the lead to 3‑1 after Portsmouth’s defence again faltered. The second half offered Portsmouth a chance to claw back.
Early on, Charles released the ball straight to Kamara, who hesitated and shot timidly at an open net, missing a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit. Chair, who was named man of the match, came close to a hat‑trick when Schmid made a reflex save at his near post, denying the striker a third goal. Portsmouth’s substitute Josh Murphy tried to spark a comeback, forcing a shot into the side netting and delivering two attempts that rattled the frame, but the hosts never truly threatened again.
Post‑match, Portsmouth captain John Mousinho reflected on the game: “It was a strange encounter. We controlled the first 25 minutes and earned a deserved lead.
After scoring, we seemed to lose our intensity and made poor decisions. Conceding drained our energy, and we gave away too many chances.
We created some opportunities in the second half but ultimately gave ourselves too much to do.” QPR manager Julien Stephan praised his side’s composure: “Fratton Park is always a tough venue with an intense atmosphere. Portsmouth started strongly, but they couldn’t sustain that tempo. I’m proud of how calm our players remained and stuck to the game plan. We scored a good first goal and were efficient with the second and third.
We managed the early part of the second half well, though I regret not adding another. If we had, we could have sealed the win earlier.
We have areas to improve, but overall I’m positive after this performance.” The win not only broke a quarter‑century drought at Fratton Park but also gave QPR valuable momentum early in the season, while Portsmouth will look to regroup and address the lapses that cost them dearly in front of a near‑full house.