Match Day Thread QPR 2 v 1 Pompey - 1st. Pre Season Friendly

Pompey had their first taste of pre-season action this afternoon in a training ground friendly with QPR.

They took the lead in the behind closed doors encounter at the Londoners’ Middlesex base, although it was the hosts who emerged 2-1 winners.

John Marquis was on target with a neat finish for the Blues, who used 21 players – including a number of trialists.

The contest took place under grey skies at the Imperial College Sports Ground, with the sun occasionally poking through.

But the heavy showers that had accompanied the warm-ups had disappeared by the time the game kicked-off.

Summer signings Clark Robertson, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Shaun Williams all started their first matches as Pompey players.

It was Ronan Curtis who was first to catch the eye, however, with a long-range free-kick that was saved by the Rangers keeper.

Danny and Nicky Cowley were constantly bellowing instructions to their charges, with the latter clutching his trusty iPad.

And they almost saw their side fall behind in the opening stages, with Robertson well placed to clear a shot from the line and into the grateful arms of Alex Bass.

But it was the Blues that broke the deadlock midway through the first half, as Marcus Harness slipped a pass through to MARQUIS, who took a nice first touch before bending the ball home.

There was almost a second soon after, with Curtis lifting a cross towards the back post, where it was just out of reach for Marquis.

Paul Downing them met a pin-point Williams corner with a firm header that was somehow clawed to safety by the QPR keeper.

Half Time: QPR 0 Pompey 1

Cowley made 10 changes following the interval, with a glut of trialists emerging and only Bass remaining.

But it was Mark Warburton’s outfit who found the net within 10 minutes of the restart to level the scores, courtesy of a Marco Ramkilde finish.

Pompey were still looking an attacking threat, though, and a long Sean Raggett pass up the pitch was nervously dealt with.

Reeco Hackett-Fairchild soon rose majestically in the area and steered a header agonisingly past the post.

He then turned provider with a cross towards Raggett, who probably should have guided his attempt on target.

Instead it was Rangers who were able to forge ahead for the first time, with a foul in the box allowing Olamide Shodipo to score from the spot.

Pompey finished the match on top and launched several dangerous attacks, but they were unable to find an equaliser.

Pompey: Alex Bass; Trialist (Callum Johnson 46), Paul Downing (Sean Raggett 46), Clark Robertson (Trialist 46), Lee Brown (Trialist 46); Shaun Williams (Haji Mnoga 46), Ryan Tunnicliffe (Trialist 46); Marcus Harness (Reeco Hackett-Fairchild 46), Trialist (Trialist 46), Ronan Curtis (Trialist 46); John Marquis (Trialist 46)