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QPR vs Sunderland match report: A Paddy McNair brace seals the deal for David Moyes' side

QPR 1 Sunderland 2: McNair, who had never scored a senior goal in his life, popped up with two to win it for David Moyes' side

Jack Pitt-Brooke
Wednesday 21 September 2016 20:51 BST
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Sunderland celebrate their second
Sunderland celebrate their second

Goals and wins are the lifeblood of football but neither has been coming easily to Sunderland. Before last night they had won just once all season, against Shrewsbury Town at home one month ago. Before last night they had scored just four goals, two from Jermaine Defoe, one from Adnan Janujaz, neither of whom were playing here at Loftus Road.

So who at Sunderland could sniff at this: a 2-1 win over a hard-working Queens Park Rangers side, putting them into the fourth round of the EFL Cup? Yes, they did not play well, but they have not played well all season. When they were 1-0 down with 20 minutes left it felt like business as usual, only worse. But then Paddy McNair, who had never scored a senior goal in his life, popped up with two to win it. By the end the 2,214 Sunderland fans were ole-ing. They do not see this sort of thing every week.

Could this be the game that turns Sunderland’s season around? That is a far more alluring prospect than their trip to Southampton in late October. Before then Sunderland have four very winnable Premier League games, against Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and West Ham United. If they can harness enough of this confidence and start scoring some goals, then why should they not look forward with some hopeful ambition?

“Every club needs to win, and we need it as much as anybody,” pointed out David Moyes afterwards. “We wanted to get a bit of momentum going. I hope it’s the start of a run of games to get us to the cup final. But also a bit of belief, getting that winning feeling around the club, a bit of confidence.”

Belief, wins and confidence are three of the things that have been desperately lacking at the Stadium of Light recently, and it showed here. This was not a great game, featuring two teams who are more concerned about improving their league positions than progressing in the EFL Cup. Both managers rested their best players and there was desperately little quality in the final thirds, or the middle third for that matter, until the goals came.

Sunderland were the better team throughout, but they struggled to create genuine chances or to beat promising QPR goalkeeper Matt Ingram. He saved from Duncan Watmore and Jan Kirchoff in the first half as Sunderland looked like a side who may never score again without Defoe up front.

Paddy McNair after the final whistle

It was McNair, of all people, who changed the game. Sunderland were 1-0 down with 20 minutes left and probing for an opening. McNair took the ball and exchanged sharp passes with Watmore and was suddenly through on goal. He slotted the ball underneath Ingram. Then, with 10 minutes left, Ingram could only palm out Didier Ndong’s shot from the right. McNair read it well and finished to win the game. Maybe Sunderland’s goal threat had been hiding from them all along?

“There’s a wee bit of a misconception with Paddy,” Moyes explained afterwards. “He’s an attacking midfielder. He was a no10 as a boy, but as he grew he dropped back. He strikes the ball cleanly, is a good finisher and connects well. I think he’s better as an attacking midfielder, we’ll find exactly the right spot for him.”

Jordan Cousins

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was upbeat too after seeing his much-changed Rangers briefly threaten to win the game. That would have been a shock, given the team they put out and their record in the cups. But their lead owed to one piece of individual brilliance in a performance otherwise devoid of it. Sandro volleyed QPR into a lead on the hour mark, falling over backwards 20 yards out, using his left foot. It was a goal that you would expect from a one-time Brazil international.

Beyond that, there was plenty of endeavour but not much skill from Rangers. Idrissa Sylla did not look ready for Championship football up front, and Rangers lacked presence in the box. But there was enough effort to impress Hasselbaink, who is still trying to impose the right values at a club where they have too often been forgotten about.

“It was a brilliant game,” Hasselbaink said, slightly overdoing it. “I’m proud of my players. We wanted to make it a good game, and my players tried. We played with a young left-back and right-back, and they did magnificently. We are going to keep improving and keep working, and we'll be competitive.”

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