Jeepers keepers!

Dieng rescues point for QPR with late header

GOALKEEPER Seny Dieng was the unlikely goal-scoring hero for Queens Park Rangers as his late equaliser completed a dramatic comeback at Sunderland.

Dieng’s header in the second minute of stoppage time prevented the Black Cats from moving to the top of the Championship.

Ilias Chair had given Rangers hope with a brilliant 25-yard freekick three minutes before the end.

Sunderland looked on course for victory after Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms scored for the second weekend in a row with strikes after 31 and 40 minutes.

But with the clock ticking down and Sunderland all set to celebrate, they learned how tough the second tier can be.

Chair’s brilliant free-kick made things interesting and then Dieng, who has scored previously in nonleague circles for Whitehawk, charged up for a corner in stoppage time before heading home.

QPR boss Michael Beale said: ‘When the goalkeeper goes up, who picks him up? He attacks both balls in. Crazy game. He has made a couple of great saves as well.

‘Seny is a modest young man, says few words, but what a magic moment for him. And for the 900 or so fans who have made the trip with the train strike. They get to say, “I was there”.’

Sunderland broke the deadlock following a fine bit of play. Jack Clarke rolled inside to Alex Pritchard, who darted beyond a couple of players to create an opening for Dan Neil to shoot. While Dieng got down low to his right to block, Stewart pounced and hammered the rebound past him. Nine minutes later, Pritchard ran at the QPR defence and Stefan Johansen’s sliding tackle put the ball into the path of Simms. He poked a low finish from just inside the box.

Then came the late comeback. Yet Dieng still had to deny Sunderland again after his injury-time goal. He made a fantastic save from Stewart,

before Elliot Embleton hammered the rebound against the bar.

Sunderland manager Alex Neil said, ‘I might be pleased in the morning. I am not pleased at the moment. The only way to fix that was to get my goalkeeper to mark their goalkeeper, it’s numbers. It’s 10 versus 11.

‘I have not been done by a goalkeeper before. Even then Ross has a chance with his left foot, the keeper makes a good save, Elliot hits the bar. When your luck is not in, your luck is not in.’