QPR 2 Sunderland 3:NEIL WARNOCK'S Christmas cup will not be filled with festive cheer after Wes Brown grabbed a late, late winner for Sunderland after a second-half rally from QPR that had appeared to salvage a point and erase their slipshod performance before the break.

Alejandro Faurlin and Heidar Helguson linked for the 67th-minute leveller from Jamie Mackie, whose header allowed Keiren Westwood no chance.

This followed Helguson’s bundled-in finish moments earlier, but as Warnock contemplated a valuable comeback and a point, Brown finished from a corner.

Anton Ferdinand had not recovered from a hamstring injury to be able to feature in the match-day squad, though he was spied in relaxed mode. John Terry’s potential career nemesis watched on from the stands.

Martin O’Neill, hoping to improve on a start to his Sunderland career that read W1 L1, made two changes, Lee Cattermole and Nicklas Bendtner for Connor Wickham and Jack Colback.

The Danish striker had a prime opening chance that proved the warm-up for his later strike – just 14 minutes were gone when Seb Larsson floated in a free-kick from the left, Wes Brown flicked on, and Bendtner’s header smacked against Kenny’s right post.

After 19 minutes, Kieran Richardson and Bendtner combined to open the scoring. From the right quadrant, the erstwhile England forward dipped in a delivery and the 23-year-old rocketed home a header from close range.

Warnock decided that the invisible Shaun Wright-Phillips should be removed at the interval and Adel Taraabt entered the fray.

The Moroccan was involved in a few of the home side’s better moments but they amounted to nothing, then disaster struck.

Danny Gabbidon misjudged a header near halfway and Stephane Sessegnon raced clear of a slumbering home defence before he rounded Kenny and blazed a confident finish into the empty goal.

In a frantic finish, Kenny saved brilliantly from Craig Gardner towards the end before Brown sealed the late win.

QPR: Kenny, Young, Gabbidon, Connolly (Bothroyd 90), Traore (Hall 80), Barton, Faurlin, Derry, Wright-Phillips (Taarabt 46), Mackie, Helguson. Subs not used: Cerny, Hill, Campbell, Smith. Booked: Connolly, Faurlin.

SUNDERLAND: Westwood, O’Shea, Bramble, Brown, Bardsley, Larsson (Gardner 75), Cattermole, Vaughan (Colback 71), Richardson, Sessegnon, Bendtner. Subs not used: Carson, Kilgallon, Ji, McClean, Elmohamady. Booked: Sessegnon, Cattermole.

Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).