Foul-mouthed Portsmouth talked their way to defeat in a thoroughly entertaining encounter with QPR's Under 18 team at Brunel on Saturday morning.

The Under 18s went into this final game of the South East Conference two points behind league leaders Leyton Orient. It transpired after the game that Orient had won their final match as well, and Rangers therefore graduate as South East Conference runners-up to the Merit League for the rest of the season, starting on the 12th February.

QPR lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Sean Thomas in goal behind John Fletcher at right back, Daniel Murphy at left back, and Lee Craig replacing Pat Kanyuka as Ryan Johnson's partner in central defence. Kanyuka, one of our most promising youngsters, is said to be on his way to Manchester City. Sonny Farr and captain Scot Mulholland were on the left and right wings respectively, with Stefan Bailey and Ruben Zadkovich in central midfield and Kieran St Aimie and Wes Thomas up front.

Portsmouth took the lead in the first few minutes when a header came off the crossbar and was tapped in. Shortly after this the referee had a sharp word with the Pompey players for excessive swearing.

Rangers went looking for the equaliser, attacking down both flanks and through the middle. They totally dominated the rest of the first half, winning a dozen or so corners and limiting Portsmouth to the occasional break, but couldn't score. Pompey had strong centre backs and our two strikers often seemed to be jumping for the same high ball.

At half time Joe Gallen brought on Matt O'Connell for Sonny Farr and replaced John Fletcher at right back with Matt Middleton, a trialist who has recently been released by Aston Villa.

Half way through the second period Wes Thomas was felled inside the box and Ryan Johnson, who was having a super game at centre back, calmly put the penalty away. Game on!

Five minutes later the referee, who had clearly had enough of Portsmouth players screaming abuse in his face, showed one of them a straight red card for swearing and trying to intimidate the officials.

When Rangers need to crank up the attack it's usually led by Daniel Murphy, and he started to really hurt Pompey with a series of runs down the wing from his left back position. On the last of these forays, with only a minute left to go, Murf was brought down just outside the corner of the penalty box, got up, dusted himself down, and swung in a beautiful free kick towards the near post for St Aimie to poke home from close range.

Man of the match: Ruben Zadkovich who ran the Rangers show from central midfield. Tackling and passing relentlessly, he won every 50:50 ball (and there were plenty), took 90% of our dead ball kicks, and rode Portsmouth's attempts to get him sent off. A complete midfield performance.

QPR: Thomas S, Fletcher (Middleton), Johnson, Craig, Murphy, Mulholland, Bailey, Zadkovich, Farr (O’Connell), Thomas W, St Aimie, subs not used: O'Rourke, Judge, Munday.