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

Ilias Chair struck twice as QPR ripped up the script at Fratton Park, turning an early onslaught into a ruthless 3-1 win and ending a 26-year wait for victory away to Portsmouth.

For half an hour, it looked like a long afternoon for the visitors.

Pompey fly out of the blocks

Portsmouth, roared on by nearly 21,000 in the south-coast sun, came out with intent. Adrian Segecic’s corner found Conor Shaughnessy, who headed wide, and new signing Luke Brooke-Smith soon tested debutant goalkeeper Pierce Charles with a fierce drive from 25 yards.

The pressure told on 15 minutes. Terry Devlin, picking up possession 30 yards out, stepped onto the ball and bent a stunning curler into the corner of Charles’ net. A goal worthy of the occasion, and a lead that felt inevitable.

QPR were wobbling. Boy Kemper, handed his league debut, limped off injured inside 20 minutes. Abu Kamara, Portsmouth’s £2.5m summer addition, almost doubled the advantage when he flashed in at the far post, inches away from Zak Swanson’s tempting cross.

Pompey were enjoying themselves. Segecic buzzed between the lines, latching onto Colby Bishop’s clever flick and whipping in a cross Brooke-Smith failed to properly connect with. Kamara then slid him through again, only for Segecic to drag his shot wide under pressure from Jake Clarke-Salter.

At that stage, QPR were clinging on.

Chair flips the game

Then the match turned.

Twelve minutes before half-time, Rangers equalised out of nowhere. Portsmouth failed to deal with Harvey Vale’s cross from the left, and Chair, completely unmarked in the six-yard box, toe-poked home from point-blank range. Fratton Park fell quiet. QPR suddenly had a foothold.

Seven minutes later, the mood darkened further for the home fans. Koki Saito took aim from just inside the area and his effort pinballed off Devlin and then Rocco Shein, wrong-footing goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid and trickling in. A cruel goal, but punishment for slack defending. From dominance to deficit in a flash.

Julien Stephan’s side sensed weakness and went for the throat. In first-half stoppage time, they sliced through again. Amadou Mbengue surged down the right and whipped in a low cross. Chair, alive in the box once more, arrived to apply another simple finish. 3-1. Portsmouth’s back line had completely unravelled.

From cruising to chaos in 15 brutal minutes.

Portsmouth run out of answers

John Mousinho’s side needed a fast response after the break and they almost had it handed to them. Ten minutes into the second half, Charles gifted Kamara the ball with a loose pass, only for the forward to shoot tamely at the keeper with a half-open goal inviting him. It summed up Pompey’s afternoon.

Chair, running the game by now, went hunting his hat-trick. Schmid denied him at the near post with a sharp save low with his legs, preventing further damage on the scoreboard if not in the stands.

Mousinho turned to his bench and introduced Josh Murphy, who injected some urgency. Murphy hit the side-netting and twice flashed dangerous balls across the face of goal, but the sense of an actual comeback never truly materialised. QPR, as Stephan later pointed out, managed the opening half-hour of the second period with impressive calm and control.

Portsmouth created chances, but they also kept leaving the door open at the other end. The early swagger had long gone, replaced by frustration and loose decision-making.

Managers’ verdicts

Mousinho did not hide from the collapse.

He admitted Portsmouth had been “in complete control” for the first 25 minutes and had taken a “deserved lead”, but said his side “fell apart” after scoring, lost energy once they conceded, and “gave ourselves too much to do” despite some good second-half openings.

Stephan, by contrast, highlighted QPR’s composure in the storm. He praised the “calmness” of his players in a hostile atmosphere, their commitment to the plan even when under heavy pressure, and their “efficient” finishing for all three goals. His only regret: they failed to add a fourth during a dominant spell after the break that would have killed the contest completely.

QPR leave Fratton Park with a first win there since May 2000, a statement comeback on opening day, and a playmaker in Chair already dictating the tempo of their season. Portsmouth walk away knowing they can blow teams away in spells—but also that, if they ease off for even 15 minutes, this league will punish them without mercy.