Why Sheffield United may be facing a "wounded animal" in Sunderland after dramatic draw with QPR

Sunderland, who were promoted last season after edging out Wednesday and Wycombe in the League One play-offs, could have gone joint top of the formative Championship table with victory over QPR and looked on course to do just that when goals from Ellis Simms and Ross Stewart put them 2-0 ahead at the break.

But Ilias Chair halved the deficit in the 87th minute before goalkeeper Seny Dieng – a reported former United target – went up for a late set-piece and headed a dramatic injury-time equaliser.

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Dieng was then forced into action at the other end, while Elliot Embleton's effort struck the crossbar and Neil insisted: “We deserved to win the game.

“We played very well in the first half, and in the second I think Tyler Roberts has one real chance, but we defended well.

"You've got to give the lad [Chair] credit, the lad puts a free kick in the top corner.

"Then they bring the goalkeeper up and the problem for us is then you don't have enough players to mark. It lands on the goalkeeper's head and the chances of that happening are highly unlikely.

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"As far as I'm concerned, they got out of jail and you could see that from their celebrations. I might be pleased in the morning [with the performance], but I can't be just now."

Speaking ahead of the trip to Bramall Lane, Neil concedes that his side are currently better with the ball than without it.

"A lot of our players are really good on the ball, but without it, that's not a key strength,” he added. “You need to defend that spell better as a group.

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"We almost won it as well, which makes it more frustrating.

"It's a great save from the goalkeeper, Elliot gets a great purchase on the ball from the follow up, it hits a foot and then the underside of the bar. When your luck is not in, it's really not in."

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