Gus Poyet has claimed that Sunderland did "everything possible" to get back into the game after making a disappointing start to the 2-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

Goals from Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora in the first half handed QPR their first Premier League away win of the season, and Poyet admitted that a sluggish start was too much to come back from at the Stadium of Light.

"It was not a great start," the Sunderland boss told BBC Sport. "Everything was planed to start very fast, but we didn't find a way to do the right things.

"We went forward and we had crosses and we had chances and we had penalty appeals. The boys tried everything possible, but what we had done in the first 20 minutes was just too expensive and we paid the price. Robert Green had a fantastic game."

The defeat leaves Sunderland 14th, just two points outside the relegation zone.