QPR beat Portsmouth to end 22-year wait and set up FA Cup fifth-round tie with Watford

Matt Smith - QPR end 22-year wait after beating Portsmouth to set-up FA Cup fifth-round tie with Watford
Matt Smith (right) reels away after securing Queens Park Rangers a fifth-round FA Cup tie against Watford Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Queens Park Rangers 2 Portsmouth 0

Queens Park Rangers will play in the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 22 years after seeing off Portsmouth at the second time of asking.

Second-half goals by Nahki Wells and Matt Smith earned Steve McClaren’s side a home tie with Watford, thus denying Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett, who played for Watford in the 1984 final, the reunion he craved.

QPR last won a FA Cup fourth-round tie on Jan 25 1997, when Trevor Sinclair’s overhead kick was the highlight of a 3-2 win over Premier League-bound Barnsley.

Matthew Brazier was an unused substitute that day and supporters marked his death at the age of 42 from cancer with a minute’s silence that also marked the passing of Rangers’ academy analyst Antony Pallett.

”I’m delighted for the supporters because the FA Cup is important to them,” said McClaren. “Anything can happen in the Cup. It’s Friday night, under the lights and on TV.”

Chances were few and far between for more than an hour, although Portsmouth were fortunate in the 35th minute when Darnell Furlong’s header bounced off the bar.

Finally, after 70 minutes, there was a shot on target, and it resulted in a goal, too. This was no Sinclair classic, but pure poaching on the line by Wells from Joel Lynch’s shot on the turn after Smith had knocked down a high ball into the box.

The tie was clinched in the 77th minute when Smith, the tallest man on the pitch, met Luke Freeman’s free-kick with an emphatic header.

”We didn’t have enough tonight,” Jackett admitted. “We couldn’t handle Smith’s power or find enough shots to trouble them.”

Match details

Queens Park Rangers (4-4-2): Lumley; Furlong, Hall, Lynch, Bidwell; Freeman, Luongo, Scowen, Osayi-Samuel (Eze, 72); Smith (Hemed, 90), Wells (Manning, 82).
Subs not used: Ingram, Eze, Wszolek, Kakay, Leistner.
Booked: Scowen.
Portsmouth (4-1-4-1): MacGillivray; Walkes, Burgess, Clarke, Brown; Naylor; Lowe, May (Morris 59), Close (Pitman, 75), Dennis (Evans, 60); Hawkins.
Booked: Burgess.
Subs not used: Bass, Haunstrup, Thompson.
Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire).
Att: 13,115.

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