Black Cats have to be more clinical ( Leadbitter.

Byline: By Stuart Rayner

Having seen his side nearly throw away three points at Loftus Road on Tuesday, Grant Leadbitter hopes Sunderland learn their lesson and become more ruthless in future.

Despite scoring the decisive second goal in the 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers, the 20-year-old midfielder was a prime culprit, missing chances before and after to put the game beyond sight. In a season which has so far yielded a disappointing 27 goals in 21 matches, the youngster was quick to identify Sunderland's weakness.

"We created an awful lot of chances as a team but didn't really put enough of them away," he said of the QPR game.

"We could quite easily have been four or five goals ahead but in the final minutes they had a chance to make it 2-2." The visitors totally bossed the match, especially in the first half, taking 17 shots at the Hoops' goal.

As in recent games, Leadbitter was given licence to get forward from a five-man midfield. The Fence Houses-born player did so to good effect, his goal coming from one of many well-timed runs.

Nonetheless it seems a strange decision to give the job to a player who on Tuesday doubled his professional goals tally and by his own admission was far from prolific at junior level.

"I have to hold my hand up as a part of that (profligacy)," he admitted. "I'm delighted to have scored my goal but I'm disappointed I didn't finish the match with a hat-trick.

"I had two other chances to score and they're the type of chances I need to be taking in the future."

Leadbitter was by no means the only culprit with David Connolly, who manager Roy Keane has identified as his principal hope for goals this season, striking the post when clean through in injury-time.

Inevitably as the game went on QPR created a few late chances which, had any been converted, would have given the scoreline an improbable appearance.

"We all have to learn from that," Leadbitter said. "If we're as dominant again, we shouldn't be leaving ourselves in a position where we're hanging on a bit at the end.

"We need to be putting sides to bed if the chances are coming our way."

The game was Leadbitter's third straight start for the club he supported as a boy, equalling his longest run in the side since Keane took charge in late August. With more competition in midfield than any other position at present ( Dean Whitehead was on the bench and Dwight Yorke ommitted from the 16 ( Leadbitter was rightly pleased to put in such a solid performance in West London.

"I'm delighted with the way things are going for me at the minute," he said. "I'm really enjoying playing and training under new management.

"I'm still young and still learning, so the most important thing at the moment is I'm getting games. The challenge is to keep producing good performances to keep me in the team. There are a lot of good midfielders at this club and nobody, least of all me, can afford to take things for granted."

With Sunderland's unbeaten run extended to four games and back-to-back home matches next, Leadbitter wants this to be the start of a run which can close the six-point gap to the play-off positions.

"We've got ourselves on a good little run now," he said. "The result at Wolves (a 1-1 away draw) was an important one because we could quite easily have lost that. It's results like that which will take you up the table. We've done well in two away games in a row now, so it's important we don't waste that by not doing the business at home against Norwich this weekend."

It is thought Keane sees former team-mate Stephen Pearson as the answer to his club's goalscoring problems from midfield and the race for the 24-year-old was declared open by his agent yesterday.

"Gordon Strachan has reluctantly agreed to let Stephen go in January if the price is right," Willie McKay revealed. "Gordon can't guarantee him a game every week and, while he would like to keep him, recognises Stephen needs first-team football."

Pearson is valued at around pounds 1m.

The Black Cats can expect competition from Derby County. Rams boss Billy Davies unsuccesfully bid for Pearson last term while manager of Preston and again in August.

* SUNDERLAND'S FA Youth Cup third round tie against Preston North End will be at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday at 7pm. Entry is pounds 3 for adults, pounds 1 for juniors and senior citizens.