ROSES are red, violets are blue. Luke O’Nien scored one, Jack Clarke scored two.

It might not be the most romantic of Valentine’s verses, but it certainly warmed the hearts of the 2,500-strong travelling army that roared Sunderland to victory from the away end at Loftus Road last night as the Black Cats returned to the Championship play-off places for the first time since the turn of the year.

Speaking in the build-up to last night’s game, Tony Mowbray admitted he was not sure whether Sunderland could cope with being promoted to the Premier League one year after clambering out of League One. Much more of this, and he might have to find out.

O’Nien opened the scoring with a close-range finish before the interval as Mowbray’s side made it two wins in four days, and while Anthony Patterson had to produce an excellent penalty save to deny Ilais Chair as QPR briefly threatened to rally, Clarke settled things with two typically flamboyant counter-attacking efforts in the final eight minutes.

Clarke clearly revelled in playing as a striker alongside Joe Gelhardt, although with Alex Pritchard returning to the starting side to partner O’Nien at the heart of midfield, it took the Black Cats 20 minutes or so to feel their way into the game. Once they did, though, they never looked back.

Gelhardt wasted Sunderland’s best opportunity of the opening half-hour, firing into the side-netting from the right-hand side of the area after Trai Hume’s floated through ball released him beyond the QPR defence. The 20-year-old’s willingness to dart behind left-back Kenneth Paal was commendable, but his finish was somewhat scruffy.

O’Nien was more composed a few minutes later, but while his 20-yard drive was on target, QPR goalkeeper Seny Dieng got down to his left to push the ball away. When the recalled central midfielder was presented with another opportunity ten minutes before the break, however, he was not to be denied.

Dieng turned Patrick Roberts’ shot around the post after the winger had been played in by Ba’s backheel, but while he also kept out Dan Ballard’s header from the resultant corner, he was unable to keep the ball within his grasp. It fell kindly for O’Nien, who was left with the simple task of stabbing home from inside the six-yard box.

QPR’s only first-half effort of note came to nothing when Jamal Lowe flashed a low drive wide of the post, with Ballard’s aerial prowess ensuring the home side were unable to provide any service to Chris Martin, who was signed as a free agent earlier this month to spearhead their malfunctioning attack.

Ballard’s central-defensive partnership with Batth has been a key factor in Sunderland’s impressive recent run, with the former Arsenal defender having slotted seamlessly back into the first team since recovering from the foot injury that kept him on the sidelines for much of the first half of the season. Like so many of the youngsters that have arrived in the last 12 months, the 23-year-old looks an extremely astute addition.

He had to be on his mettle during the second half of last night’s game, with QPR wresting control of things after the interval, and Sunderland were indebted to Patterson for the magnificent spot-kick save that kept them ahead in the 65th minute.

Aji Alese was penalised for handball as a right-wing cross struck his raised arm at the back post, but while Chair drilled a well-struck spot-kick down the middle, Patterson kept the ball out with his legs. If, as is expected, the Sunderland goalkeeper receives a maiden call-up to the England Under-21 squad next month, it will be richly deserved.

With Patterson’s penalty heroics deflating QPR, Sunderland settled things. Gelhardt flicked a first-time finish against the crossbar after Roberts pulled the ball into his path, before Clarke scored twice in the final eight minutes.

His first goal saw him dance inside a covering defender before slotting a low finish past Dieng, and his second, which came in stoppage time, saw him hammer home emphatically after Dan Neil played the ball into his path.