Full-time: Sunderland 0 QPR 2

NO manager, no away win all season, and seemingly no hope of avoiding relegation. Alarming, then, that QPR also had no trouble disposing of Sunderland.

Even by the Black Cats’ depressing standards of repeatedly living down to expectations, this was a wretched evening that eradicated much of the progress that had been enacted in the previous three games.

Flat and uninspired from the outset, Sunderland were outplayed by a side who had previously failed to pick up a single point on their travels, and who were supposedly still reeling from the departure of Harry Redknapp earlier this month.

First-half goals from Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora were sufficient to lift QPR out of the relegation zone, and while Robert Green was forced to produce three excellent saves to prevent Sunderland hauling themselves back into the match, the evening ended with the hosts back within two points of the bottom three.

The boos that rang around a near-deserted Stadium of Light at the final whistle underlined the depth of the home supporters’ frustration at the lack of cohesion and urgency, and highlighted the fragility of the Wearsiders’ recent upturn. This is a side that is by no means out of the woods yet.

Despite an occasional flourish, Sunderland’s display was as insipid as anything they have produced all season. The spark and tempo that propelled them to victory against Burnley, and which had been sustained in subsequent away games at Fulham and Swansea, was nowhere to be seen as the home side’s players toiled as if they were trekking through treacle.

Adam Johnson offered nothing of value on his return to the starting line-up, Jordi Gomez passed up possession far too easily before he was hauled off at the break, and Connor Wickham, preferred to Danny Graham, appeared completely lost as he attempted to come to terms with a floating role in attack.

Nominally stationed as a centre-forward, but clearly under instructions to pull to the left when Sunderland did not have the ball, Wickham’s lack of a set position unbalanced the hosts and meant that QPR were able to offer a constant threat down their right-hand side.

Both first-half goals came from that avenue, as well as a host of other opportunities, and for all that Gus Poyet is attempting to develop a system that provides adequate attacking support for Jermain Defoe, leaving huge gaps down one side of the field is surely not a sensible tactical ploy.

QPR had not led away from home in the Premier League since March 2013, but that deservedly changed in the 17th minute when Fer headed the managerless visitors into the lead.

The Dutchman had already drilled a 20-yard shot straight at Costel Pantilimon when he burst beyond a dawdling Liam Bridcutt to head home Matt Phillips’ floated right-wing cross. It was a smart headed finish, but merely extended Sunderland’s run of conceding soft goals to crosses.

Twelve minutes later, and the same pair were combining again, only for the woodwork to come to Sunderland’s rescue. Phillips pulled the ball back from the byline, and Fer’s side-footed effort struck the inside of the post before rolling across the goalline. Even at that stage, a second goal would have been no more than the visitors deserved.

The let-off brought a furious response from the home supporters, but to their credit, Sunderland’s players finally awoke from their slumbers to carve out two decent opportunities before the break.

The first was uncharacteristically spurned by Defoe, who prodded Gomez’s cross wide from inside the six-yard box, and the second was denied by a sensational reflex save from Green.

Wickham must have thought he had scored when he met Anthony Reveillere’s cross with a powerful header, but Green tipped the ball onto the underside of the crossbar before clawing the rebound to safety.

The significance of the save became fully apparent ten minutes later as QPR doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time. Again, Sunderland were exposed down their left-hand side, although this time the goal owed as much to a moment of brilliance from Zamora as to any defensive inadequacies.

Pulling away from Santiago Vergini on the edge of the 18-yard box as Phillips delivered yet another centre, Zamora hooked an instinctive swivelled half-volley into the top right-hand corner of the net. Who needs the injured Charlie Austin?

The goal effectively forced Poyet’s hand at the break, and the Sunderland head coach introduced Ricky Alvarez, switched Johnson to the left and went 4-4-2 with two orthodox wingers.

Sometimes, the most old-fashioned of systems can be the best, although it was hard to ascertain the difference such was the continued paucity of Sunderland’s play.

Defoe almost created himself an opening at the start of the second half, but the game quickly settled back into a pattern of the Black Cats serving up possession while QPR launched a succession of rapid raids down the flanks.

The first real change to that template occurred in the 66th minute, with Johnson delivering a low cross that enabled Defoe to stab the ball towards goal at the front post, only for Green to produce another fine stop.

The former England goalkeeper was at it again moments later, tipping Alvarez’s goalbound drive around the post, but while Sunderland’s players launched a succession of late penalty appeals as QPR’s defenders repeatedly threw themselves in the way of the ball, all were rightly waved away.