Jimmy Dunne's second-half header earned Queens Park Rangers a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day, denying the hosts a vital victory in their Championship relegation battle. Terry Devlin had put Pompey in front on the stroke of half-time after a dominant opening 45 minutes, but Rangers' captain struck back from a set-piece to extend his side's impressive recent run and keep them firmly in the play-off conversation.
The result leaves Portsmouth with just one win from their past six matches and drops them back into the relegation zone on goal difference, with Oxford's late win over Southampton compounding their disappointment. For QPR, it was another sign of resilience: they have now lost only two of their last eight games, a sequence that includes five victories, and although they slipped to ninth, they remain very much in contention for a top-six finish.
Devlin strikes after Bishop and Blair torment Rangers
Portsmouth's preparations had been disrupted by a pre-match setback, with influential winger Josh Murphy ruled out by a hamstring injury picked up in the 1-1 draw at Derby. His absence opened the door for former Liverpool academy product Harvey Blair to make his first start of the season, and the young winger quickly justified the selection, repeatedly stretching QPR down the left and providing an early outlet for John Mousinho's side.