Sunderland climbed into the play-off places as they swept struggling Queens Park Rangers aside at Loftus Road. Luke O'Nien's goal ten minutes before half-time set them on their way, but they had goalkeeper Anthony Patterson to thank for preserving their lead when he saved an Ilias Chair penalty just after the hour when Aji Alese was penalised for a handball.
Joe Gelhardt was denied a first goal in red and white when he hit the crossbar in the final 15 minutes, but Jack Clarke scored soon afterwards and then added his second - and Sunderland's third - in injury-time. The win, combined with Millwall's defeat at Coventry City and Watford's draw against Burnley, saw Sunderland go fifth in the table.
Tony Mowbray's Sunderland have now lost just one of their last nine league games, while the pressure continues to mount on QPR boss Neil Critchley with his side's winless run extending to ten games in all competitions. Mowbray promised to freshen up his side following the weekend win against Reading, and he made three changes at Loftus Road.
READ MORE: QPR 0-3 Sunderland: Highlights and reaction as Black Cats climb into the play-off spots
O'Nien, Alex Pritchard, and Abdoullah Ba, came into the starting XI with Amad, Dan Neil, and Edouard Michut, dropping to the bench. Critchley made two changes, in his case to the side that lost at home to Millwall on Saturday.
Striker Chris Martin, who signed as a free agent last week and scored against the Lions after making his debut from the bench, came in for his first start, while Tim Iroegbunam also came into the side, with Sinclair Armstrong and Stefan Johansen making way. The opening 20 minutes were uneventful, with the sides cancelling each other out.
But the game got going when Jamal Lowe sent a shot narrowly wide from outside the box at one end, before Sunderland almost immediately went up the other end and Trai Hume's ball found Joe Gelhardt inside the area and he got the better of Jimmy Dunne only to send his shot into the sidenetting to the right of goal. Sunderland were beginning to impose themselves on the game and when Pritchard teed-up O'Nien on the edge of the box, he brought a save out of Seny Dieng who got down to his left to push the ball to safety.
Ten minutes before half-time, Ba's backheel set up Patrick Roberts inside the box but his low shot was turned round the post by Dieng. Sunderland went in front from the resulting corner, however, as Pritchard's set-piece from the right was headed goalwards by Dan Ballard and Dieng could only parry it with O'Nien forcing the ball home from close range.
In the second half, QPR stepped things up and Chair advanced through the middle only to send his 25-yard shot straight at Patterson. Martin should have levelled on the hour when Lowe's cross from the right found him four yards out, but he did not make a strong enough contact and the ball went across the face of goal.
QPR then won a penalty when Alese handled as a corner kick came into the box, but Patterson came to Sunderland's rescue. Chair drove his spot kick down the middle and, while Patterson had dived to his left, he was able to make the save with his legs and, crucially, also boot the ball clear.
Gelhardt hit the crossbar with a shot on 77 minutes, when he got on the end of a Roberts cross. But Sunderland killed the game off with a second goal eight minutes from time.
Referee Peter Bankes played a good advantage when QPR committed a foul in midfield, the ball broke to Clarke down the left and he raced into the area down the left, checked inside Rob Dickie and coolly rolled his finish beyond Dieng and into the bottom right-hand corner. Sub Amad almost added the third when he galloped through one-on-one, but he was foiled by Dieng.
Sunderland did add a third goal two minutes into injury-time, however, as sub Neil advanced into the area down the right and squared for Clarke on the penalty spot, and he swept the ball home.
How they lined up
QPR: Dieng, Laird (Kakay 46), Dickie, Dunne, Paal, Dozzell (Johansen 81), Field, Iroegbunam (Armstrong 76), Chair, Martin, Lowe. Subs not used: Archer, Dixon-Bonner, Gubbins, Adomah
Booked: Field, Dozzell, Lowe, Johansen, Paal, Dunne
Sunderland: Patterson, Hume, Ballard, Batth, Alese (Cirkin 81), Ba (Amad 63), O'Nien, Roberts, Pritchard (Neil 69), Clarke, Gelhardt (Ekwah 81). Subs not used: Bass, Bennette, Lihadji
Booked: Clarke, Roberts
Referee: Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
Attendance: 14,471
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