Goalkeeper Seny Dieng was the QPR hero as his injury-time equaliser completed a dramatic comeback and snatched two points away from Sunderland right at the death. The Black Cats appeared to be cruising to victory after strikers Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms - the latter on his home debut - had scored first-half goals to put their side in a commanding position.
But Sunderland missed chances to kill the game off and as time went on they began to sit back while QPR were forced to chase the game. Ilias Chair gave the Londoners late hope when he curled home a brilliant free-kick from 25 yards, and Dieng headed the equaliser from a corner to stun the crowd at the Stadium of Light.
Even then Sunderland could have won it, but sub Elliot Embleton hit the crossbar from a yard out when it seemed he must score, althought the angle was tight. Sunderland had been on course to end the day on top of the Championship table but instead they dropped to sixth, albeit the season is still at a very early stage.
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Alex Neil's side maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign but that was little consolation in the immediate aftermath. After making a full slate of changes for the midweek Carabao Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday, Neil reverted to the same starting XI that began last weekend's Championship win at Bristol City.
His opposite number Michael Beale made three changes to the side that started QPR's last league game, the 3-2 home win against Middlesbrough, with Niko Hamalainen, Olamide Shodipo, and ex-Middlesbrough man Albert Adomah replacing Kenneth Paal, Chris Willock, and Luke Amos. Sunderland suffered an early blow when a late challenge from Adomah - which went entirely unpunished - left Daniel Ballard in a heap, and after treatment he eventually limped off to be replaced by Luke O'Nien.
Simms should have scored inside the opening quarter-hour when Alex Pritchard chipped the ball into the box and Stewart headed it down for his strikepartner, who could only fire his first-time shot straight at Dieng from six yards. A couple of minutes later, Simms teed up Stewart on the edge of the box and his shot was blocked, with Pritchard sending his follow-up high and wide. But Sunderland took the lead on 31 minutes, with Pritchard heavily involved again.
He did brilliantly on the edge of the QPR penalty area to set up Dan Neil, he tried to place his low shot into the bottom left-hand corner but Dieng got down to make the save although he could only parry it and Stewart was on hand to lash home the loose ball from six yards. Corry Evans then tried his luck with a long-range effort which Dieng dealt with.
QPR should have levelled when Hamalainen crossed into the box from the left and Lyndon Dykes got in front of his marker at the far post, but he did not make good contact and his shot went straight to the waiting Anthony Patterson on the goalline. Pritchard then curled a free-kick narrowly wide as Sunderland continued to attack.
And they doubled their lead five minutes before the break, with Simms holding the ball up on the edge of the box and playing it to Pritchard, he was challenged by Johansen and the ball ran for Simms who took a touch which took him into the box and he prodded his finish beyond Dieng into the bottom left-hand corner. QPR had a chance to pull a goal back before the break but centre-back Rob Dickie headed narrowly wide from a free-kick, with Patterson beaten.
QPR made a change at half-time, sending on Tyler Roberts in place of Adomah and the substitute missed a big chance early in the second period, directing his shot wide from the edge of the box when he should have at least tested Patterson. On the hour, Neil brought on Patrick Roberts in place of Simms and switched to a back four.
Roberts was quickly into the action, cutting infield from the right and hitting a low shot which Dieng saved and held, and soon afterwards Roberts sent another effort narrowly wide after good work from Clarke in the build-up. Sunderland looked to be closing in on victory, only to throw it all away in the final few minutes.
First Lynden Gooch fouled Roberts on the edge of the D, and Chair curled the resulting free-kick beyond Patterson and into the top right-hand corner with three minutes of normal time remaining. Patterson then made a fine save from substitute Sinclair Armstrong, but from the resulting corner QPR equalised in the most dramatic of circumstances in the second minute of added time.
Chair delivered the set-piece into the box and goalkeeper Dieng, who had come forward for the corner, rose to head home. There was still one more chance for Sunderland, as Stewart saw a shot saved by Dieng and the loose ball came to Embleton but his follow-up shot from just a yard out, albeit from a tight angle, hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear.
How they lined up
Sunderland: Patterson, Ballard (O'Nien 9), Batth, Cirkin, Gooch, Evans, Neil (Embleton 88), Clarke, Pritchard (Wright 88), Simms (Roberts 60), Stewart. Subs not used: Bass, Diamond, Alese
Booked: Clarke, Evans, Gooch
QPR: Dieng, Kakay, Dunne, Dickie, Hamalainen (Bonne 90), Chair, Johanson (Dozzell 75), Field, Dykes, Adomah (Roberts 46), Shodipo (Armstrong 81). Subs not used: Walsh, Masterson, Gubbins
Booked: Field, Dickie, Roberts
Referee: Jeremy Simpson (Lancashire)
Attendance: 37,883
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