NO season is ever straightforward. Sunderland will head to Preston on Wednesday with potentially three key players missing following Saturday’s hard-fought 0-0 draw at QPR.
Chris Rigg missed the trip to London with an injury that Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris believes is not serious enough to rule him out for a long spell, but Jobe Bellingham is set to miss three matches after receiving a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Rangers striker Zan Celar—unless Sunderland opt to appeal the decision and are successful.
The Championship league leaders saw their advantage at the top of the table cut to three points following the draw at Loftus Road but made the long journey home on Saturday in a positive mood after comfortably surviving a sustained spell of pressure from the home side for the final 35 minutes of the game despite being a man down.
Centre-backs Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham were excellent in the second half at Loftus Road, as the visitors had 17 total shots, but only three of them were on target as most of the second period was played in the Sunderland half.
Stand-in keeper Simon Moore, once again stepping in for Anthony Patterson, who could also miss the trip to Deepdale due to a foot and ankle problem, was relatively comfortable between the sticks, making two routine saves from close-range headers from Steve Cook and Jimmy Dunne as his defenders kept the Londoners at arm’s length.
The closest QPR came to scoring was a low, curling Celar effort that kissed the outside of the post in what was an evenly contested encounter despite 23 places separating the two sides in the table.
Although they were without seven first-teamers due to injury, a patched-up Rangers side belied the lowly position to hold high-flying Burnley to a draw at Turf Moor last week, and they dominated the opening exchanges, with Illias Chair delivering two low crosses that eluded Paul Smyth and Celar.
Sunderland finally eased their way into the game with Patrick Roberts looking dangerous whenever he got on the ball, and a smart pass from the former Fulham and Celtic playmaker released the in-form Wilson Isidor, but his powerful shot from inside the box whistled just wide.
Dan Neil then hit the post before half-time after the Rangers’ defence half-cleared one of the few decent corners of the game from the visitors with a volley from the edge of the box.
But that chance was to be the last real opportunity from Le Bris’ side as the game swung in favour of Rangers when Bellingham, who had been relatively quiet aside from a wild shot over the bar just after halftime, took a poor touch, then in his attempt to win the ball back caught Celar high across the shin.
Referee Ben Toner didn’t immediately reach for his pocket, but after taking time to consider the challenge that left Celar writhing in agony, he produced the first red card of the 19-year-old midfielder’s career.
The impressive Jonathan Varane and 18-year-old Kieran Morgan, on his first start, dominated in midfield after Bellingham’s early exit, but Sunderland showed great discipline in defense, and the pace of Aaron Connolly following his introduction from the bench provided a much-needed out-ball to alleviate the pressure from the hosts.
The Republic of Ireland international helped force two corners in front of the sold-out away end as Sunderland tried to force a goal to secure a fourth successive win, but on both occasions Roberts overhit his delivery and Rangers were able to clear the ball from danger.
Marti Cifuentes’ team should have grabbed the winner four minutes from time when the lively Chair crossed from the left for the advancing Dunne, but the former Sunderland loanee’s powerful header went straight into the hands of Moore as the Black Cats held on for a decent point.
