Pompey fell to their 9th defeat on the road this season and 13th overall, against table-topping Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
They have been in free fall during recent weeks and after this result find themselves in 20th position in the Championship having taken just one point from their last six matches.
Hermann Hreidarsson came in to the starting line-up and his presence gave the team a much more solid look in defence, especially in the first half. The Ice Man had a good match.
Aaron Mokoena and Dave Kitson also started having served their suspensions. Mokoena took over the Captain's armband from Liam Lawrence.
Pompey more than matched their hosts during much of the first half and would have been well pleased with their performance and the opportunities they created. QPR were limited to just two long range efforts of any note – one that was blasted over the cross bar by Clint Hill and the other an Adel Taarabt effort easily dealt with by Jamie Ashdown.
For Pompey Kitson, who was operating in a lone striker role, was showing some occasional neat touches and worked one really good chance which ended with him lifting a shot from the left side of the penalty box on to the roof of the goal net.
In the midfield, the tireless Hayden Mullins and on-loan Jonathan Hogg were knitting the formation together. Hogg in particular was having a much better game than his debut against Burnley and put in a couple of strong challenges. Liam Lawrence and David Nugent were also lively, Lawrence once again looked Pompey's most creative and dangerous player.
Pompey looked tight, compact and well organised across the park.
Pompey's two best chances of the first half both fell to Greg Halford within a minute of each other. The first came from a free-kick awarded after the most controversial moment of the half.
QPR failed to clear the ball from their area, goalkeeper Paddy Kenny who was a long way off his line out of position leaving the goal unattended, shanked his clearance. The ball fell to Lawrence who was clearly fouled in what looked like a goal scoring position.
After some deliberation the referee Mr Hegley decided that a yellow card was all that the offence warranted. From the free-kick Halford stepped up to drill a powerful, direct, on-target shot that Paddy Kenny pushed away to his left for a corner.
Lawrence took the set-piece which was well met by Halford for his second opportunity to score in quick succession but his header went wide of the upright.
HT: QPR 0-0 Portsmouth
Where Pompey had controlled much of the first half the second took on a different complexion. The game became much more open as QPR moved the ball quicker and used the channels more. Adel Taarabt, the one exceptional player on the pitch, suddenly came into life, he'd had a very quiet first half and it was no surprise when he opened the scoring.
Unfortunately, the goal was gifted to QPR following a huge blunder by Jamie Ashdown. Taarabt cutting in from the right hand flank hit a shot from just outside of the penalty area straight at the Pompey keeper. It was a shot that should have been saved but inexplicably Ashdown didn't get his body behind the ball and it squirmed through his grasp and in to the net. It was the turning point of the game as once again an avoidable error saw Pompey fall behind. There was a brief moment when one or two Pompey heads dropped, understandably after all their hard work.
QPR's second goal came quarter of an hour later, Clint Hill powerfully heading the ball past Ashdown from an Adel Taarabt corner.
Pompey had a number of good chances to score in the second half. Opportunities fell to Hogg (twice, one in particular shanked wide after a good move down the right flank), Nugent (a shot fired wide) and Kitson (a header over the bar from a corner) but unfortunately none of them troubled Paddy Kenny.
Pompey's evening in front of goal was summed up when Nadir Ciftci, a second half substitute for Joel Ward, had a header which was some how clawed over the bar to safety from close range by Kenny. It was excellent goalkeeping, his second super save of the game following his effort to deny Halford's freekick in the first half.
FT: QPR 2-0 Portsmouth
Overall, this was a performance from Pompey that warranted so much more, especially the first half. Unfortunately, errors once again cost them. It was so much better than the previous game against Burnley. Ashdown's mistake for the first goal was disappointing because he's played well at times this season and made some very good saves. The second goal from a set-piece acted as a reminder of Pompey's defensive frailties seen far too often this season.
As for QPR, they will most likely get promoted this season to the Premier League but they will need to up their game to a much higher level than the one displayed here if they are to survive. They did not play particularly well and that's taking nothing away from Pompey. The one shining light on their team sheet, Adel Taraabt, is an exceptional footballing talent although on this display he doesn't seem to be the sort of player who will “put in a full shift” every time he crosses the line. But he's sure to produce plenty of memorable moments that will brighten up the top flight when QPR get there.
Portsmouth versus QPR: Jamie Ashdown; Ritchie de Laet, Greg Halford, Aaron Mokoena, Hermann Hreidarsson, Joel Ward, Hayden Mullins, Jonathan Hogg Liam Lawrence, Dave Kitson and David Nugent. Substitutes: Daryll Flahaven, Ibrahimo Sonko, Ricardo Rocha, Tom Kilby, Nadir Ciftci and Kanu
Pompey MOTM: Liam Lawrence, hard working and Pompey's most creative player
Attendance: 14,078
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