Having left Tuesday night’s match in a very positive frame of mind and feeling good about the rest of the season, like many others, I came to this game fully expecting to beat QPR and, again like many others, I was disappointed. Whether this renewed sense of optimism was because of Tuesday’s night performance or because of the fact that QPR had lost their first two games was hard to tell but, frankly, it didn’t matter. Two QPR goals, although both coming against the run of play, meant that we could only just scrape a draw.
McCarthy, after the good footballing display only a few days previously, decided to name an unchanged starting eleven with only the bench being altered, Mark Lynch replacing Ben Clark.
This unchanged side started this match in the same way they finished the game against Crewe, immediately putting pressure on the QPR defence. However, this pressure led to nothing, as a very organised and effective defence were able to repel anything that was thrown at them, with the only chances in the first 10 minutes falling to Whitley and Arca.
The difference between the two sides today seemed to be that QPR took their chances and Sunderland didn’t. This was highlighted in the eleventh minute when, after a pass from Jeff Whitley, who, possibly put in his worst performance in a Sunderland shirt, fell to Paul Furlong. The Sunderland defend then proceeded to give him room to stretch those old legs of his and could only watch as he brilliantly stroked the ball into the top corner from over 20 yards out.
This seemed to shock Sunderland as, for the next 20 minutes, they had no answer and were unable to create even a half chance. The deadlock was broken after 33 minutes as Stewart latched onto a rather innocuous Oster cross and, after bringing the ball down perfectly, converted an easy chance just inside the six yard box. Stewart seemed to be spurred on by this goal and looked as if he was going to double his tally 5 minutes before the break when he was put through one on one with the keeper. The keeper came out best though as Stewart was unable to capitalise and the teams went into half time, level.
Sunderland’s good spell continued after the break as Lawrence, Arca and Oster all spurned good chances within the first 15 minutes. Again, though, as soon as it looked like Sunderland were on top, Rangers hit back, this time with Rowland after he was given too much time down the left wing, allowed to have a free run at Myhre and was able to slot home relatively easily just 20 minutes before the end.
This led McCarthy to make several substitutions with Thornton, Lynch and Elliott coming on for Lawrence, Oster and Stewart. It was Sunderland who were then to have the last laugh because, just as it looked as they were defeated, Caldwell rose at the back post for an injury time equaliser off an excellent Sean Thornton corner.
This goal may have salvaged a point but it did not hide the fact that this was a very poor performance against a well drilled, but not brilliant Rangers side. If our promotion aspirations are to be achieved we are going to have be able to break down sides like QPR and create and put away far more chances.
Matthew Woolston