Sunderland 3 QPR 1
Ten-man QPR were well beaten and had striker Djibril Cisse sent off for the second time since his January move to the club.
A goal down after Nicklas Bendtner’s first-half header from James McClean’s left-wing cross, Rangers’ task was made even tougher when Cisse was red-carded nine minutes after the break.
The Frenchman, who was dismissed on his home debut for the R’s, dived into a two-footed challenge on Fraizer Campbell and was rightly given his marching orders.
Sunderland took full advantage, with McClean firing home at the second attempt before Stephane Sessegnon side-footed in following a great cross by David Vaughan.
Taye Taiwo’s first goal for Rangers – a superbly struck free-kick – reduced the deficit, but Mark Hughes’ men never looked like repeating their remarkable midweek fightback against Liverpool.
Joey Barton, booed off during Wednesday’s victory, was left out of the starting line-up at the Stadium of Light.
But Rangers’ problems run deeper than the poor performances of their controversial captain, and this was underlined by Cisse’s stupidity and some truly dismal defending.
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This post was last modified on 24/03/2012