Three goals in 14 first-half minutes saw Pompey fall to a hugely frustrating 3-1 opening-day loss to QPR.

Terry Devlin’s 30-yard blockbuster was wiped out by an Ilias Chair double and deflected Koki Saito finish before the break, on a deflating afternoon at Fratton Park.

John Mousinho’s side had themselves to blame for not making more of their dominance early on, before defensive lapses cost them dear.

The second half was broken up by the visitors who were in control, but Pompey still had presentable openings they could and should have taken.

Mousinho’s men then became increasingly disjointed, hopeful and panicked as the game went away from them.

That meant the afternoon which started with such optimism ended up as a cold Championship reality check for the Blues.

Pompey flew out of the blocks and should have been in front after 90 seconds, with Conor Shaughnessy mistiming his header at the near post from a corner.

The lively Luke Brooke-Smith then fired a drive at Pierce Charles from 25 yards, before the Blues took a deserved 15th-minute lead through Devlin.

There wasn’t much on for the Northern Ireland international as he picked the ball up 30 yards out, leading to him hitting a beautiful arcing drive beyond Charles.

Abu Kamara couldn’t tap in Zak Swanson’s cross five minutes later, before Segecic fired wide with Brooke-Smith in space centrally.

QPR levelled against the run of play in the 33rd minute as the Blues had chances to clear before Devlin lost Chair, who tapped in Harvey Vale’s ball into the box.

Kamara should have restored Pompey’s lead five minutes before the break, but took a loose touch instead of shooting from Ebou Adams’ defence-splitting pass.

Seconds later the visitors retook the lead as Adams lost the ball in QPR’s half, allowing the vistiors to break before Saito’s finish was deflected past Schmid.

It got worse for sloppy Pompey in stoppage time as Amadou Mbengue overlapped and crossed, with Chair drifting off Poole’s shoulder and applying a scruffy finish.

That led to a smattering of boos at the break with the Blues desperately needing to rally, as Chelsea starlet Ryan Kavuma-McQueen replaced Brooke-Smith at the break.

Pompey had two golden chances to pull a goal back after the restart.

First Shaughnessy put a completely free header wide from Segecic’s free-kick, before Kamara failed to find the net as Charles cleared to the new boy - but his finish lacked the conviction to beat the QPR keeper.

Josh Murphy and then both Marezi and Benjy Arthur were thrown on, as Mousinho tried to find a way back into the game.

The match had become disjointed with drinks breaks and stoppages, however, with the irony clear amid new rules designed to speed up play.

That wasn’t ideal, but Pompey couldn’t blame that for their lack of cohesion as their play became increasingly hopeful.

Marezi couldn’t set up a grandstand finish as he missed Murphy’s cross at the near post with eight minutes left, before Alfie Lloyd missed a tap-in for the visitors moments later.

Bishop then couldn’t guide home Kavuma-McQueen’s finish from close range with time running out.

Marezi failed to fire home acrobatically late on, as the afternoon ended in disappointment after six minutes of stoppage time.