Sunderland vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Stadium of LightAttendance37,884.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Sunderland and QPR at the Stadium of Light as Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng scored a last-minute equaliser on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 13 August 2022 18:54, UK
Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng headed in a dramatic equaliser after Sunderland had looked on track to hit top spot in the Sky Bet Championship.
Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms scored for the second Saturday in a row to put Sunderland on track for three points only for QPR to hit back late on and earn a point.
QPR looked like having no answer to their first-half goals in the 31st and 40th minutes, until Ilias Chair curled in a brilliant free-kick with three minutes remaining for QPR.
And when Dieng charged upfield for a stoppage-time corner his initial header was blocked, only for him to turn in a second opportunity when a ball came back into the box.
Even then Sunderland could have won but the Hoops goalkeeper made a late save to deny Stewart a second goal that would have sealed the points.
Both Sunderland and QPR had made decent starts to the season and, after midweek outings in the Carabao Cup, there was familiarity about how the two teams lined up.
Sunderland boss Alex Neil reverted to the team that started at Bristol City a week earlier, while QPR manager Michael Beale made three changes to last Saturday's team that beat Middlesbrough.
There was soon a change for Neil to think about. When Albert Adomah left his foot in on Dan Ballard, the former Arsenal defender had to be replaced with just nine minutes on the clock following lengthy treatment.
Adomah was in the thick of the action and wasted a fantastic chance to put QPR ahead with quarter of an hour approaching. The ex-Middlesbrough man directed a header wide from inside six yards after he had been picked out by Olamide Shodipo.
Before that Sunderland showed great hunger in front of a passionate crowd. Simms went close to finishing off a good move but Dieng was on hand to hold in the centre of goal.
That chance arrived from Stewart's knock-down following Alex Pritchard's cross, and then the latter curled an effort from the edge of the area wide seconds later.
Sunderland were bright, looked hungry and got the goal their fans were hoping for just after half an hour - and it was Stewart who obliged.
When he flicked Dan Neil's crossfield pass on to Jack Clarke there was still plenty work to be done. Clarke found Pritchard, whose run and pass led to Neil forcing a low save from Dieng and Stewart was first to react with a predatory strike from the rebound.
Nine minutes later Sunderland had a second. When Stefan Johansen knocked the ball away when he tackled Pritchard, it fell invitingly for Simms to poke a finish low and powerfully beyond Dieng.
QPR made a bright start to the second half and should have pulled one back when substitute Tyler Roberts pulled an effort wide from a central position.
After that QPR kept probing and when Chair's curling free-kick found its way in late on, the stage was set for Dieng to charge upfield for a corner and seal a dramatic point.
Even if he had to make one last save at the other end from Stewart when Sunderland also hit the bar from Elliot Embleton.
Sunderland's Alex Neil: "I might be pleased in the morning. I am not pleased at the moment. I am hoping one of our heads land on the ball. The only way to fix that is to get my goalkeeper to mark their goalkeeper, it's numbers. It's 10 versus 11. We just didn't get our head on the game and if we do, we win the game. I have not been done by a goalkeeper before. Even then Ross has a chance with his left foot, the keeper makes a good save, Elliot hits the underside of the bar. When your luck is not in your luck is not in.
"We deserved to win the game. We played well first half, I thought we defended pretty well second half. I could see the game petering out. The problem we have is two transitions led to two chances, and they both ended up in the back of net. We will see thousands of games like that this season where we will end up winning the game. Not today."
QPR's Michael Beale: "When Seny went up an assistant said 'are you happy?' I said 'I am not going to bring him back. When the goalkeeper goes up, who picks him up, he attacks both balls in. A crazy game.
"Seny is a modest young man, says a few words. What a magic moment for him. He is the first goalkeeper to score for QPR and the 900 or so fans who have made the round trip with the train strike, they get to say I was there. He has made a couple of great saves as well."
