Sunderland vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Stadium of LightAttendance41,478.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers at the Stadium of Light on Saturday | Mike Dodds' Black Cats seal point to end losing run as Rangers edge away from bottom three.
Saturday 16 March 2024 18:32, UK
Sunderland ended a run of six straight Sky Bet Championship defeats after being held to a goalless draw by QPR at the Stadium of Light.
Neither goalkeeper was troubled much throughout the game, but the first half saw Ilias Chair and Lucas Andersen have the better of the chances for the visitors.
Substitute Sinclair Armstrong threatened three times after the break, but the best opportunity fell to Chris Willock, who had his effort saved by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
A point ends Sunderland's losing run but sees them remain 12th in the table, while QPR sit one point above the relegation zone.
Asmir Begovic was tested in the opening minutes when a cross was curled in from the left by Adil Aouchiche but the ball bounced off the crossbar.
QPR had an early chance through Chair after he was played through on the edge of the area, but his effort deflected behind.
The visitors grew more comfortable and had a great opportunity when Andersen latched onto a loose pass from Dan Ballard but was denied by a quick low save from Patterson.
A scrappy first half saw both sides have a couple of chances when Dan Neil tried to catch Begovic out with an audacious effort from the halfway line which dropped onto the roof of the net.
Chair came close at the other end with a curling effort around the post before a quick break from Aouchiche saw his low shot deflected just wide.
Both teams struggled to find their feet in the opening stages of the second half, but the more positive moves came from QPR.
They capitalised on another loose ball from Sunderland in the 65th minute as a tidy pass from Andersen played in substitute Armstrong but his shot from a narrow angle was comfortably scooped up by Patterson.
The Rs were on the attack again minutes later as Willock's cross rattled the crossbar.
A chance for Sunderland followed as Pierre Ekwah found Callum Styles whose pass clipped a QPR defender and flicked up for youngster Chris Rigg, but Begovic was able to smother the ball.
Armstrong threatened again in the 85th minute with a great run down the right before cutting in and firing low at Patterson from a tight angle.
QPR nearly found a winner in the seventh minute of stoppage time when Armstrong played a low ball to the unmarked Willock in the box, but Patterson made a great diving stop to keep the score level.
A huge opportunity followed for Sunderland when a corner flew through the box. That allowed QPR to break again but Patterson was able to deny Armstrong for a third time.
Sunderland's Mike Dodds:
"People are going to say it's a point and it stops the chain of events we've had for the last six games, but the performance I was really disappointed with.
"Both first half and second half I felt we huffed and puffed but had no real quality in the game.
"I've got to keep working with them, they're a group that need help. A large part of that responsibility is myself.
"I think you will naturally get some help when you get bodies back, but I thought that was a real naive performance."
QPR's Marti Cifuentes:
"The game was more or less what we wanted, we didn't allow Sunderland to get a shot on goal for 95 minutes.
"I don't think we created as much as we would have liked, but maybe enough to get a goal, or at least two goals. I think Patterson was great in saving two situations. (They were) very good saves, but overall very disappointed about not getting the victory."
