Ilias Chair Shines in QPR's 3-1 Victory Over Portsmouth

Ilias Chair walked back into Fratton Park like he owned the place.

The QPR playmaker, missing for four crucial months last season with a calf injury as Rangers’ campaign fell apart, announced his full return with two goals and an assist in a ruthless 3-1 win over Portsmouth – only QPR’s second victory at this ground in three decades.

Portsmouth arrived with noise, optimism and a clear ambition to push on in their third Championship season. For the first 20 minutes, they played like it. Conor Shaughnessy headed over, debutant Luke Brooke-Smith drew a save, and QPR looked exactly what they were: a side sitting deep, clinging to a counter-attacking plan.

Then Terry Devlin lit the place up.

When QPR failed to clear a free-kick, Ebou Adams recycled possession and rolled the ball to Devlin, lurking more than 30 yards out. The midfielder took aim and ripped a swerving right-footed drive that flew away from Northern Ireland team-mate Pierce Charles and into the net. A stunning strike, fully in tune with Portsmouth’s early dominance.

At that point, it felt like the start of a long afternoon for the visitors.

Instead, it was the trigger.

QPR didn’t change shape, didn’t suddenly take control of the ball. They simply waited, pounced and punished. On 33 minutes, Portsmouth gifted them a lifeline. Harvey Vale clipped a gentle ball into the danger area, and everything in blue stopped. Goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid stayed put, defenders froze, and Chair ghosted in to stab home from close range. One chance, one goal. The mood inside Fratton Park shifted in an instant.

Portsmouth tried to shake it off, to reassert themselves, but Julien Stephan’s side had found a rhythm on the break and they stuck to it with cold precision. Five minutes before the interval, they struck again.

Chair, now running the game between the lines, carried QPR forward and slipped in Koki Saito. The Japan international’s effort wasn’t spectacular, but it didn’t need to be. A nick off Devlin wrong-footed Schmid and the ball rolled past him. From 1-0 down to 2-1 up, with barely a clean attack built by QPR in between. Clinical barely covers it.

The pressure on Portsmouth suddenly felt heavy. Their passing lost its snap, their back line looked rattled. QPR sensed it and went for the throat.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, Amadou Mbengue tore down the right flank, untracked and unchallenged. His low cross found Chair all alone in the box. One composed finish later and QPR had their third goal from their third shot on target of the half. Chair’s second of the afternoon, and a harsh, brutal scoreboard for a home side that had started so brightly.

Portsmouth emerged after the break needing a quick response and created enough to change the story. They just never found the finish to match the build-up.

Shaughnessy, again, rose unmarked but sent a free header wide when he had to hit the target. Substitute Abu Kamara was handed a gift when Charles kicked the ball straight to him, yet his tame shot allowed the QPR goalkeeper to atone with a straightforward save.

The pattern repeated. Portsmouth carved out looks; QPR held their nerve.

Charles denied Marko Milovanovic, Rocco Shein pulled a presentable chance off target, and when Josh Murphy – back from groin surgery – came off the bench to lash a low effort across goal, it flashed beyond everyone and past the far post. Close, but not close enough.

By the final whistle, the story was clear. Portsmouth had the early control, the spectacular opener and the volume. QPR had Chair, a razor-sharp counter-attack and a gameplan that never blinked.

If Portsmouth really are serious about climbing the Championship, they will have to find an answer to afternoons like this – when dominance on the ball isn’t enough, and every mistake is punished without mercy.