Nicos Dabizas, Newcastle United's match-winner when they beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in February, does not mind if he takes a back seat in tomorrow's derby at St James's Park.

The Greek international's headed goal on Wearside has been shown thousands of times on television through the world.

But Dabizas insists: "I will be happy to concentrate on defence tomorrow and let someone else score the winner - as long as it is a Newcastle United player.

"To score a winning goal against Sunderland in the Stadium of Light was obviously a very special feeling for me, especially as a defender because it normally does not happen to you.

"But the only thing on my mind tomorrow is the three points. We have had three bad results in a row and now we have this huge game ahead of us tomorrow.

"I have been in the North-East for four and a half years now and I know the meaning of life on Tyneside is to win the games against Sunderland.

"The fans feel that way and so to do the players and everyone else at the club.

"We want to achieve that win, end the bad run and please our supporters."

Sunderland, who are having just a bad time as United, seem to be pinning their hopes on the fact that Sir Bobby Robson's men will be tired after their gruelling trip to Kiev for this week's Champions' League game.

But Dabizas, who has also been on international duty with Greece in a European Championship game with Spain recently, shrugged this off.

He said: "When you play a derby game against Sunderland the willingness to win makes you forget about any tiredness.

"And when you want to win a match as badly as this one any tiredness or stiffness you may have felt from playing a lot of games goes out of your mind."

The Evening Chronicle