Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner has expressed his delight at scoring the winning goal in his side's FA Cup victory over Southampton.

The 27-year-old found the back of the net four minutes into the second half, as the Black Cats booked their spot in the quarter-finals

"The ball came out and [Victor] Wanyama tried to nick it, but I managed to get it past him and let rip – it was nice to see it go in off the bar," he told the club's official website. "It was going a bit high – when the ball hits the bar you always think 'oh no', but when I saw it hit the net I was buzzing.

"It's nice to get a game and get some minutes under my belt, and it's great to get a goal too and get through to the next round. It was a great result for the lads against a good Southampton team. We could have had two or three goals today.

"We got in behind a few times in the second half and had a few chances. I think we played really well today and it's nice to get a win."

Gardner is in his third season at Sunderland, having joined them in 2011 from Birmingham City.