Leadbitter's sweet strike sinks QPR

Sunderland 2

QPR 1

Half-time: 1-1

Att: 39,206

According to Boylesports, the Irish bookmaker backing Sunderland with [pound]10m of sponsorship, the club are 100-1 shots to finish in a Champions' League qualifying position next season. The trouble is Roy Keane has to get his team to the Premiership first.

Still, they are three points closer now, after holding their nerve yesterday against a Queens Park Rangers side who succeeded in knocking them out of their stride for much of a fitful Championship encounter. Sunderland got off to a flying start with a superbly- fashioned Dean Whitehead goal but were left grounded and frustrated when Martin Rowlands equalised from the penalty spot midway through the first-half.

For the second time in five days, it took a thumping drive by Grant Leadbitter to get Keane's side across the winning line. The substitute midfielder's 76th minute strike kept Sunderland on top of the table, with a 13th win in an unbeaten run that stands at 17 games now. With the Black Cats four points clear with three matches to go, they could clinch promotion next week if they win at Colchester and Derby lose at home to Luton. Not that Keane is putting any champagne on ice just yet. "No matter what the situation is, we're just trying to win our matches," he said. "The players showed great character today. They had to be patient."

They did indeed after surging ahead with a peach of a goal in the seventh minute. It came from a sweeping move that was launched with a pass out of defence by Nyron Nosworthy and continued with a brilliant prompting feed on the turn by David Connolly. That allowed the overlapping Whitehead to stride into the right side of the Rangers penalty area and beat the goalkeeper Lee Camp a neat side- footed finish.

It was a goal of the highest order but it counted for nothing by the 23rd minute. Rowlands put Rangers on level terms from the penalty spot after Dexter Blackstock had crashed to the ground on the left side of the Sunderland box under challenge from the diving Darren Ward. It was a counter-blow that came out of the blue, though as the opening half progressed John Gregory's well-organised Rangers side succeeded in disrupting the flow of Sunderland's play, restricting them to a handful of fleeting chances. The most notable was another Whitehead shot, headed away.

Sunderland's frustration increased after the interval, with little rhythm to their play and Rangers quickly closed down any space that opened up. Stern John, a half-time replacement for Ross Wallace, did get a sight of goal in the 54th minute but steered his shot across the face of the target.

With half-an-hour to go, Keane sent on Leadbitter for the labouring Dwight Yorke. It was a switch that Sunderland more of a grip in central midfield and paid a rich dividend with 14 minutes remaining. Shaping to launch a free-kick into the penalty area from outside on the right, Carlos Edwards instead fed the ball sideways to Leadbitter, who's low drive found the back of the net from 20 yards out.

It was not quite as stunning as the winner struck by the young midfielder at Southampton on Monday but it could prove to be just as vital.

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