Sunderland will play Coventry in the Championship play-offs
It proved a miserable end to the regular season for play-off bound Sunderland as they lost to Queen's Park Rangers to continue their poor form.
Nicolas Madsen scored first for QPR inside the first five minutes with an emphatic finish after a delightful team move and Jimmy Dunne nearly made it two in the second half.
Despite pushing for an equaliser, Sunderland slumped to their fifth straight defeat.
Finishing fourth, the Black Cats will play Coventry in the play-off semi-finals while QPR, with manager Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave, end the season in 15th.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris said in the build-up, his players were "raring to go" after a challenging run of results as he's rotated and rested his squad in time for the post-season, losing much of the early-season magic which had propelled them into the top four.
QPR looked the more dangerous of the two with midfielder Madsen taking the initiative for the visitors.
A beautiful passing move that tore apart Sunderland's midfield ended with Newcastle loanee Harrison Ashby sending in a ball from the right-hand side which ended up at the Dane's feet to smash into the top right-hand corner.
Sunderland looked to respond soon after with Eliezer Mayenda and Luke O'Nien forcing saves out of Joe Walsh but from minute 20 onwards, the half became a stop-start affair, halting Sunderland's momentum going forward.
With no half-time changes, the hosts weren't as bright in the start of the second period and should have been 2-0 down at 57 minutes.
Madsen, this time the supplier, whipped in a dangerous ball from a free-kick that met the head of QPR's Jimmy Dunne only for the Irish international to nod the ball just wide.
Le Bris changed his formation heading into the last 15 minutes with the arrivals of Brighton-bound Tom Watson and striker Wilson Isidor off the bench and it did liven Sunderland's attack up with the former, in particular, creating some of havoc for the Rs defence.
But it was too little too late for the Black Cats and Le Bris' understandable but also slightly risky strategy of rotation will be tested by a Coventry side entering the post-season with momentum after their win over Middlesbrough.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"It's the end of the testing period. After the first goal, we had some good periods but we were not able to create danger in the final third.
"At the end of the game with many players in the box and crosses, it was really difficult to find a solution.
"It was about the last cross, decision making, the players in the box, the clinical finishing.
"It was the case today in another scenario where we have to run after something but unfortunately we didn't find the solution."
QPR interim manager Kevin Betsy told BBC Radio London: "It was a very unexpected week for us, but the players showed a fantastic mentality from Tuesday's training sessions, each day they were positive and their application was outstanding.
"If you have the right training week it sets you up for a decent performance on a Saturday. We delivered an outstanding performance and result."
"The football club will take time to look at what they want to do going forward and there will be a few reviews, meetings, and then the staff will get a well-deserved break.
"We will wait for the phone to say whether we are wanted at the club or not. It is the nature of first-team football - if you want security and regularity in your life then maybe do a different job."
