Sunderland defender Danny Collins will hope to complete unfinished business when he runs out at Newcastle on Sunday.The 27-year-old Wales international has endured disappointing fortunes to date in derby clashes having looked on as the Black Cats lost 3-2 on their last visit to St James' Park two seasons ago and played in the 4-1 home defeat in the return fixture.

He was also in Roy Keane's side for the home game this season when Sunderland dominated and took the lead through Danny Higginbotham before James Milner curled a cross inside the far post to snatch a draw for the visitors.

The disappointment of that afternoon remains with Collins to this day, and he is determined to assuage it on Tyneside on Sunday.

He said: "We were disappointed to come away with a draw on the day. We played well and created three or four decent chances.

"But we didn't take our chances and James Milner put a cross in and it managed to sneak into the bottom corner, so we came off disappointed to only pick up a draw.

"Hopefully we can go up there and pick up the win I think we deserved that day."

To do that, Collins and his team-mates will have to do a better job on the Magpies' dangerous trio of strikers than most of their opponents have managed in recent weeks.

Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka have scored eight goals between them in their last five games together, although the Black Cats had only conceded five in total in the eight games before Manchester City snatched a late double to win at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

That, however, is not a task which will faze Collins and his defensive colleagues.

He said: "We have played the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, so you come up against top-class strikers week in, week out.

"Don't get me wrong, they are three top players and they have come into it in the last few weeks when they have picked up results.

"But as a back four, we have improved since Christmas and have looked a lot more solid, and hopefully we can handle them quite well.

"We are looking forward to the game and to keep them quiet and come away with a clean sheet from there would be a big positive for us as a back four, and hopefully we can nick something at the other end."

Collins arrived on Wearside in October 2004 and needs no reminder of just how much the derby means to both sets of fans - although that does not mean he has not been given a few.

He said: "I was in Sainsbury's the other day and there were one or two fans in there saying, 'Make sure you come away with a result at the weekend' and 'Make sure we beat the black and whites', so I certainly know what it means to them."

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