SUNDERLAND manager Lee Johnson would love to draw one of the Premier League’s big boys in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after the Black Cats booked their place in the last eight with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win at QPR last night.

With the game at Loftus Road having finished goalless, Aiden McGeady, Ross Stewart and Alex Pritchard all held their nerve to score from the spot.

Lee Burge saved QPR’s opening spot-kick from Charlie Austin, and after Ilias Chair and Yoann Barbet both failed to find the target, Sunderland claimed a 3-1 shoot-out win.

Their success puts them in Saturday morning’s draw for the last eight, and having avoided Premier League opposition so far, Johnson would like a glamour game in the quarter-finals.

“It would be another big part of the story (if they drew one of the big boys) and the narrative that we’re trying to create,” said the Sunderland boss. “The reality is that we’ve got to stretch what we’re doing.

“Dan Neil is a good example – what is he, 14 or 15 games into his career? He’ll have learned from that tonight. He’s done some great things, but at times the pace caught him out. Technically, we know what he can do, but again, you can only grow by feeling it.

“If we can get a big club in the next round, it’ll be another learning experience for the boys, and when you know you’re competitive in it, you bank all that experience and then you can step on, and your bar becomes higher and higher.”

Johnson felt his side more than merited their draw over the course of 90 minutes, and was always confident they would succeed once the game went to penalties.

“I thought we were well worth the draw and maybe the win, and once it gets to penalties, you always fancy Burgey,” he said. “How many times since I’ve been in has he made penalty stops? He’s got that presence, we do the research, and we’ve got good takers as well.

“I think we’ve been good in penalty shoot-outs. It is something we really consider – it’s not just on the back of a fag packet. It’s not like we’ve got Pritchard, McGeady and Benson and Hedges taking the pens. We were composed, we were calm, and you always fancy Burgey when it comes to penalties.”

With more than 2,700 travelling supporters in West London, Johnson and his players celebrated in front of a packed away end after their penalty success.

The euphoric scenes continued long after QPR’s players had trudged down the tunnel, and marked another important staging post in Sunderland’s resurgence under Johnson and new owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

“I absolutely love it, it's a brilliant club,” said the Black Cats boss. “I don't even mind the bad stuff because it's pure passion.

"Not moany, just pure passion. And the good stuff is absolutely unbelievable."