QPR boss names 'great' Sunderland performer and delivers clear verdict on Stadium of Light draw

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes said his side deserved to win at the Stadium of Light on Saturday but praised Anthony Patterson for his part in keeping the scores level.

While Cifuentes admitted that his side did not create as much as they would have liked through the game, he praised their commitment and organisation in preventing Sunderland from mustering a single shot on target. Patterson made a crucial save in each half of the contest, denying Lukas Andersen after Dan Ballard's stray pass in the first half and then making an even better reflex save to deny Chris Willock with just a couple of minutes left to play.

Cifuentes said his side still have a lot of work to do if they are to finish the campaign above the three relegation places but added that they can take confidence from their defensive record and structure.

"We missed two points but I'm satisfied with the performance of the players, with the attitude," Cifuentes said.

"We had the game more or less as we wanted, we didn't allow Sunderland to get a shot on goal for 95 minutes. We didn't create as much as we would have liked but enough, definitely, to get the goal or two goals. Unfortunately for us, Anthony Patterson was great in saving in two situations. They were very good saves.

"In the end, we're very disappointed not to get the victory. I think since I arrived here, the team is showing great togetherness to work out of possession, and I think we're not conceding a lot of chances. Even against Middlesbrough when we conceded twice it was from two shots on goal, sometimes this is the game. Of course I would have preferred to have conceded three today and score four to take the three points, but is definitely a strength of ours and something that we need to keep until the end of the season.

"I'm very encouraged by what the players are giving me every single week. I would not have come here if I didn't think it was possible to stay up but at the same time, the progress has been really good week by week. The team is getting better, the reality is that we are still in a big relegation battle with a lot of teams and it will be tough until the end, so we need to be aware that we need to a lot of good things until the end of the season if we want to achieve our target."

QPR face Birmingham City, Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle in their next four fixtures after the international break, a run of fixtures that could prove pivotal to their hopes of survival. Patterson's saves were particularly important for Sunderland in bringing an end to their six-game losing run and keeping an eight point gap between the two sides heading into the break.