Josh Murphy inspired Portsmouth to a third victory in a row as they eased Championship relegation fears with a 2-1 win over QPR at Fratton Park.
Winger Murphy curled in a stunning strike in the 48th minute to break the deadlock before a mazy run ended up with him setting up Matt Ritchie three minutes later.
Pompey are now nine points above the drop zone as they move to their longest winning streak of the season, with no Championship team earning more home points than Pompey’s 16 in 2025.
QPR’s first defeat at Fratton Park since 1998 only came after Jimmy Dunne set up a frantic finale with a fine finish in the 74th minute but they stayed 14th.
The first half severely lacked quality, with Pompey failing to register a shot on target despite edging the possession stats.
They had a series of half-chances with Connor Ogilvie bookending the first 45 minutes with a flicked header wide and a shot with too much lift over the crossbar, while Colby Bishop looped a header onto the roof of the net.
But it was the visitors who had the very best chance of the half.
Ilias Chair tried his luck from 30 yards but it was blocked into the path of Michael Frey who instinctively poked towards goal, where birthday boy Nicolas Schmid bravely saved.
The first half’s dreariness only made the opening six minutes of the second all the more thrilling – with John Mousinho’s team talk paying off with a quick-fire pair of goals.
Murphy twice produced moments of magic to stun the away side and put Pompey 2-0 by the 51st minute.
Firstly, he received the ball from Andre Dozzell on the left before skipping forward, cutting in and then bending into the net for his sixth goal of the season.
Then three minutes later, he capitalised on Steve Cook gifting him the ball to carry the ball to the by-line before laying on a plate for Ritchie.
Chances then started to come slightly more regularly at both ends. Southampton loanee Ronnie Edwards nodded a header over for the Rs, before Marlon Pack lifted over the bar from inside the six-yard box.
Portsmouth’s inability to pull clear offered hope for the west Londoners, initially summed up by substitute Alfie Lloyd going agonisingly wide with a shot across goal.
And became a reality when Dunne produced a stunning lobbed finish, after a raking diagonal ball from Chair, to pull one back for QPR.
Chair has now been involved in seven goals in his last 10 league appearances, and could have added a first away goal of the season with a free header, but nodded straight at Schmid.
It set up a nervy ending, but QPR could not fashion another major chance.
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