Sunderland moved into the Championship playoff places thanks to a brace from Jack Clarke in a 3-0 win.
The Black Cats took the lead with the only goal of the first 45 through Luke O’Nien. Clarke made it 2-0 with less than ten to play, and he made sure of all three points with his second goal in injury time.
Tony Mowbray made a few changes to the side that beat Reading at the Stadium of Light; Alex Pritchard, Luke O’Nien and Abdoullah Ba came in to give a few of the regular starters a break.
Sunderland went into the night looking to move into the playoffs and put more pressure on a struggling QPR.
It took until the 20th minutes for a meaningful act towards goal. Ilias Chair was the creative spark for the hosts, and he found Jamal Lowe who fired an effort just wide.
Out of nothing, Sunderland had a brilliant chance to take the lead when Trai Hume picked Joe Gelhardt over the top but bearing down on goal he hit it into the side netting.
Sunderland had another chance through O’Nien, the lads worked it well down the left and pulled it back to O’Nien, who tried to bend it in the corner but was denied by Seny Dieng.
The lads were getting into the game and brilliantly worked it in a tight space, Ba did a lovely backheel to Roberts, who forced Dieng into a brilliant save.
Straight from the resulting corner Sunderland took the lead, Ballard header was parried by Dieng, and Aji Alese tried to poke it home, but it dropped to O’Nien managed to stab it home.
It hadn’t been Sunderland’s finest half of football, but going into the break, Sunderland had the all-important opening goal.
It was a scrappy start to the second half with a lot of niggly little fouls causing the game to be very stop start.
Sunderland were relatively comfortable, but needed that second to kill the game off and brought on Amad for Ba to give some extra fire power up top.
QPR were awarded a penalty for a handball on Aji Alese, he went up for a header too early and it clearly struck his arm. Chair stepped up but was denied by Patterson who superbly saved with his feet- he dove to his left but did brilliantly to improvise and kick the ball away.
Sunderland were inches away from, a second on the counter, Amad broke and slipped it through to Roberts on the right who whipped in a first time cross to Gelhardt who fired it off the bar.
QPR were trying to get back into the game and a ball from the right looped over toward Chris Martin, but his header floated just wide.
With less than ten to play Sunderland made it two, Dennis Cirkin did brilliantly to intercept and picked out Amad who released Clarke to cut inside and slot it home.
Sunderland almost made it three thanks to Amad, Pierre Ekwah did well to slip him through on goal but the Ivorian couldn’t beat Dieng.
With QPR going for it at one end, there was so much space for Sunderland and Dan Neil did brilliantly to pull a cross back to Jack Clarke who smashed it past the QPR keeper.
Full Time: Queens Park Rangers 0-3 Sunderland
ALS Man of the Match: Dan Ballard
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Alese (Cirkin 81’), O'Nien, Ba (Amad 63’), Roberts (Neil 69’), Pritchard, Clarke, Gelhardt (Ekwah 82’)
Subs Not Used: Bass, Bennette, Lihadji
