Goalkeeper Seny Dieng said he defied the orders of his QPR teammates when he rushed up to score a 92nd-minute equaliser and rescue a point against Sunderland.

Dieng’s late leveller earned Rangers a 2-2 draw in the north east, and the comic-book finale saw him become the first ever goalkeeper to score for the club.

Speaking post-match, the Senegal stopper revealed that he was advised to stay back by his teammates, but he was determined to rescue a point for the Rs on what was their longest away-day of the season.

Asked who instructed him to charge forward for a late corner, Dieng told the QPR website: “Nobody did! Some of the players told me ‘stay back stay back,’ but I said, ‘No way!’

 

“In my head, we were 2-1 down and I didn’t want to leave the stadium with nothing. It was extra time already and I had to try.

“The corner came in from Ilias [Chair], I tried to get on it but I think the defender has beaten me to it and then as the ball goes out I see Ilias is back on it. It was a nice cross from him, I had a good connection on the ball.”

“Obviously I was excited, then all of a sudden I see all the players around me, so it was exciting. It’s a special feeling.”

Rangers had earlier trailed 2-0 at the break after goals from Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms. 

Chair gave Michael Beale’s side hope with a stunning free-kick three minutes from the time before Swiss-born Dieng stole the headlines with a stoppage-time header.

Dieng still had one more decisive contribution to make, producing a brilliant low stop to deny Stewart before substitute Elliot Embleton rattled the crossbar as QPR held on for an unlikely point.

“I had to make it [the save] otherwise the goal would have been for nothing,” said Dieng.

“So I was forced to make it, I didn’t have a choice. It was a good save and I’m happy that we could keep it out and go home with a point.

“Obviously the first half didn’t go as we wished. I think you could see in the second half that we still believed, showed great character to get these two goals and go home with the point, like I said, great character from the team.”

Manager Beale was understandably delighted with his No.1 post-match and heaped praise on the 27-year-old, who has been with Rangers since 2016.

The Rs boss, who only joined in June after stepping down as Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa, also thanked the 904 travelling fans for their support, with their journey back to west London made far more tolerable after Dieng’s late heroics.

“He finishes it really well, it's actually really good technique, so well played to him,” said Beale, speaking to BBC Radio London.

"He's very modest, so he's calmed down in there, but his teammates are making a fuss of him.”

"I believe he's one of the best goalkeepers in this league, I think he's destined for really big things and we're delighted to have him.

"The effort from them [fans] is incredible - it's lovely to reward them - I hope they were still here when Seny scored, I hope some of them didn't get away early because they'd have missed a wonderful one."