A View From the Away End: Sunderland Grind Out a Tough Point at Loftus Road
Yesterday at 01:00 AM
"We took our seats close to the home fans, where a middle-aged gentleman in a sombrero wielding a vuvuzela brought some… unique energy to the atmosphere."
There's an old saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. It's a somewhat cynical take, but for many Sunderland fans, it's rooted in reality. All the stats and form guides pointed to an away win against Marti Cifuentes's struggling QPR, but anyone who follows Sunderland knows that these are often the games where we come unstuck.
With a 3 pm Saturday kick-off, there was just enough time for a morning football session at Hackney Marshes before heading to the pub. My team laboured to a 1-1 draw against opposition in poor form — a hint of what was to come later in the day.
A strong turnout from the London Branch gathered at the Uxbridge Arms near Notting Hill for the build-up. Spirits were high after our recent good form, and everyone was looking forward to the game, with only the Mags' win over Arsenal in the early kick-off slightly souring the mood.
Unlike last season, QPR had allocated us just the upper tier, leading to the usual frantic scramble for tickets. Loftus Road is one of those classic old grounds that makes up for its lack of modern amenities with character. We took our seats left of the goal, close to the home fans, where a middle-aged gentleman in a sombrero and wielding a vuvuzela brought some… unique energy to the atmosphere. Fair play to those sitting near him; enduring a winless season is hard enough without that noise blaring in your ears.
From the start, it was clear that QPR weren't going to be the accommodating hosts we'd hoped for. Despite their lowly league position, they knocked the ball around with confidence. The early string of corners we conceded might once have caused a sinking feeling, but after repelling Luton's bruisers recently, we were less anxious. Sunderland grew into the game, going close through Isidor and Dan Neil, but neither side could really complain as we went in goalless at the break.
After braving a half-time queue for a beer with less space than a Central Line train at rush hour, we returned to see a few promising moments give way to concern after Jobe's red card. In hindsight, Sunderland fans had few complaints, and it set us up for a challenging half-hour as we aimed to take something from the game.
Though initially buoyed by their man advantage, QPR struggled to turn possession into meaningful chances against our resilient defence. It's a point that's been made many times this season, but past Sunderland sides likely would have lacked the composure to come away with anything after the red card, so there was a palpable sense of relief as the referee blew for full time.
Having been denied entry to a nearby Spoons, as it was marked Home Fans Only (seriously, why?), we ruminated over a hard-earned point with a pint at Belushi's. Only Leeds and Sheffield United managed wins among our close challengers, so we kept our lead at the top, albeit reduced by two points.
The upcoming fixtures look trickier without Bellingham, but we have every confidence that Le Bris will view it as an "interesting problem to solve" in his calm, determined way.
Onwards to Preston, where we can at least expect a roomier concourse and, hopefully, a crowd free from vuvuzelas.
