Sunderland shockingly threw away a two goal lead at the death to draw 2–2 with Queens Park Rangers at the SOL on Saturday.
Alex Neil’s side turned in a fantastic performance for 85 minutes and went in at the break two goals clear thanks to Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms. However the visitors pulled one back through an Ilias Chair free kick in the 87th minute before goalkeeper Seny Dieng headed the visitors level in injury time.
After beating Bristol City 3-2 last weekend at Ashton Gate, Alex Neil revealed in his pre-match conference that Leon Dajaku would miss this weekend’s game after sustaining a thigh strain in his late cameo. Neil also revealed other than Dajaku there were no fresh injury concerns and although work remains ongoing in the transfer window there are no imminent incomings.
A much-changed Sunderland side was knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Wednesday. Alex Neil took the opportunity to give minutes to players who are on the fringe of the first team, but a dire performance meant not many of them can have any arguments they are not regular starters. Other than perhaps Jack Diamond the lads were well off the pace and further highlighted the need for reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
As expected after the loss on Wednesday Alex Neil made wholesale changes to the side that started at Hillsborough naming the same side that beat Bristol City last weekend. Former loan signing Jimmy Dunne who made 14 appearances for the lads in 2019 lined up for the visitors.
The visitors got the game underway kicking towards their fans in the North Stand. There was an early stoppage after five minutes with Ballard needing treatment and having to be replaced by O’Nien after limping off. Ellis Simms did well to skin Dunne on the right before his cross was headed clear before Gooch also did well but the keeper gathered his cross from the right.
Sunderland almost took the lead after 11 minutes when Simms and Stewart combined brilliantly in the box. Alex Pritchard clipped a ball into the box which Stewart nodded down for Simms but the keeper held his first time effort. A minute later Sunderland fashioned another chance after Dan Neil did well to nick possession. He played the ball in to Stewart who saw a shot from the edge of the box before Pritchard clipped a shot over.
At the other end QPR had a decent chance when Shodipo crossed from the left for Adomah but he headed over unmarked. After 22 minutes we forced a corner down the left after Clarke’s cross was deflected behind but Pritchard’s set piece was cleared.
Sunderland took the lead after half an hour after Ross Stewart rounded off a superb passage of play by the lads. Dan Neil played an angled ball forward which Stewart touched into the path of Clarke. He played the ball infield to Pritchard who skipped a challenge before laying the ball off to Simms. Simms’ saw his side footed effort parried by the keeper but Stewart reacted quickest to slam in the rebound.
QPR were rattled and gave away an unnecessary corner which was cleared as far as Evans who tested the keeper with a first time volley. After 35 minutes the visitors had a chance after slack defending allowed a cross from the left which Sunderland failed to deal with. However Patterson held Dykes' effort. A few minutes later we won a free kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the box but Pritchard fired wide.
Five minutes before the break we did double our lead when Ellis Simms found the back of the net. QPR failed to clear a ball over the top and Simms charged onto the loose ball before slamming the ball into the back of the net to give the lads a well deserved two goal lead at the break.
QPR made a change at the break with Tyler Roberts replacing Albert Adomah before the lads restarted the game kicking towards the North Stand. We had an early chance when Stewart crossed for Simms but his effort looped up in the air which the keeper gathered.
Ten into the restart the visitors should have pulled a goal back after the ref allowed a blatant foul on Simms to go unpunished. QPR broke in numbers with Tyler Roberts finding space on the edge of the box but he fired wide. With half an hour to go, Neil made his second change of the game with Patrick Roberts replacing Simms. Roberts had an effort after a few minutes of coming on after coming in from the right but the keeper held his low effort.
Roberts went close again with 20 minutes left after he was picked out by Jack Clarke. However his curling effort just went wide of the top right hand corner. A minute later Dan Neil had an effort after more good work from Jack Clarke on the left but Neil dragged his long range shot wide.
With five minutes left Lynden Gooch was shown a yellow card for a foul on the edge of our box after bringing down Roberts. The visitors got one back when Chair bent an unstoppable free kick past Patterson into the top right hand corner to set up a nervy ending to the game.
Alex Neil reacted by making two further changes as he looked to seal the victory with Bailey Wright and Elliot Embleton replacing Dan Neil and Alex Pritchard. There was four minutes of injury time and in the second of these the visitors drew level. The lads failed to clear a corner with O’Nien appearing to get in Patterson’s way before the ball was clipped back into the box where goalkeeper Dieng produced a superb header.
It was a sickening goal to concede but to be fair to Sunderland they went in search of a winner in the final minute of the game and hit the bar through Embleton which somehow stopped out.
Final Score – Sunderland 2 Queens Park Rangers 2
ALS Man of the Match – Ross Stewart
