SUNDERLAND goalkeeper Lee Burge says he and the squad are enjoying riding the crest of a wave this season as Lee Johnson’s side pulled off midweek heroics in the cup.

The Black Cats are enjoying a strong season so far pushing for promotion in League One and into the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup following their midweek win over Queens Park Rangers.

Burge played a huge role in the win at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium keeping a clean sheet in the game before going on to a save a penalty and watch two more fly over the bar as the Black Cats won 3-1.

The draw for the quarter finals take place on Saturday 30th October at around 10:30am.

Burge said: “It’s massive. We’ve just got to enjoy these moments because football can obviously turn but the way we are playing, the way we are enjoying it and the way we are.

“Tactically, we’ve been brilliant so we’ve just got to keep that going, keep that consistency and throughout the whole season.

The shotstopper has had to settle for a place on the bench for most of the League One season since the arrival of German goalkeeper Thorben Hoffman, who moved to the club on a season long loan from Bayern Munich.

However, he sees the competition for places as something that can only benefit the team.

Burge said: “Unfortunately I had a bit of an injury at the start of the season and Patto (Anthony Patterson) did well when he came in.

“Thorben has been brilliant since he’s come in so it’s just all competition and at the end of the day we just have to work each other really hard and that’s what we have been doing.

“I have to take things off his game and he can hopefully take stuff off my game and that’s how you learn and get better. It’s enjoyable.”

That being said, the 28-year-old was handed a place in between the sticks against the Championship side and came in for high praise from his manager.

Johnson said: “He’s been top draw in terms of what we’ve needed him to do.

“I thought his instinctive reaction saves were excellent. I thought his claiming of crosses was excellent. Certainly his short passes and clipping out to the full-back were was very good.

“I was just always fancy him in the penalty shootout. Since I’ve been here, he’s saved numerous penalties but not only that, he is a big presence and I think the opponent taking a penalty feels like he could save it and therefore gets into his head a little bit. Therefore, puts a little bit more power on it or a little bit more height and it ends up going over the bar so I think Lee Burge certainly deserves a load of plaudits.”

Following last week’s defeat to Charlton Athletic, Sunderland will be eager to put things right in the league when they make the relatively short trip to Rotherham United.

The Black Cats dropped to fourth in the table after that result but still have games in hand on Wigan Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and league leaders Plymouth Argyle who all sit above them in the table.

As for the Millers, they’re chasing their own promotion aspirations sitting just a point and a place below them in the table.

Burge added: “The lads have got to rest up now and we’ve got a really tough game against Rotherham so it’s going to be a tough one.

“They are going to be right at it as they always are so we know what to expect and we’ve just got to make sure that we are ready to go.”