THERE have been plenty of defining moments since Niall Quinn took over as Sunderland chairman last summer, but a victory in the season's opening Wear-Tyne derby would rank alongside anything the Irishman has witnessed from the boardroom at the Stadium of Light.

Having helped the Black Cats defeat Newcastle as a player, Quinn is no stranger to derby-day success.

The former striker scored Sunderland's equaliser as Peter Reid's side won at St James' Park in 1999, and grabbed a dramatic 76th-minute winner as they produced a repeat of the 2-1 scoreline on Tyneside 14 months later.

However, he was unable to prevent Newcastle extending an unbeaten run that has seen the Magpies avoid defeat on Wearside since the 1979-80 season.

That record rankles among the red-and-white ranks, and having helped revitalise Sunderland's fortunes since usurping former chairman Bob Murray last August, Quinn is desperate to see his club lay one of its biggest demons to rest at the weekend.

Having played second fiddle to Newcastle for so long, the Irishman feels it is time a resurgent Sunderland reclaimed their status as the region's top dogs.

"If I was to pick the game that really captures what we are trying to do since I came back to the club, this is the one," said Quinn, who has already seen his Sunderland side claim an away draw at Middlesbrough this season. "As a player, the game took hold of me. I couldn't believe the intensity of it all.

"The aftermath will last for weeks. For one of the teams, it will be pain for a while. To me, it sums up the passion in the North-East. If you win, you remember it forever, if you lose, you try desperately to block it out.

"Our stock was high when we beat Newcastle 2-1 in successive seasons at St James', but then it fell. This is a wonderful chance for us to kick on. We have been on the back foot in the last few years, but I'd like to think we are in a different place now."

Quinn experienced some of English football's biggest derbies during a 19-year playing career that took him from London to Sunderland via Manchester.

He helped Arsenal to a number of notable victories over their oldest rivals, Tottenham - his most celebrated intervention was the semi-final equaliser in 1987 that helped the Gunners reach the League Cup final - and played in a succession of Manchester derbies, scoring in City's 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in 1992 and notching a brace as United recorded a 3-2 victory at Maine Road the following season.

Each occasion had its own unique charm, but nothing could match the raw emotion that characterises a Sunderland-Newcastle showdown.

"There's something a little bit more to this one," said Quinn. "It means more to this region. The others are great matches, but we don't have that many people up here and everyone is taken in by the derby. They are all involved.

"If you want to find out how terrific it all gets in the North-East, this is the day to come and have a little peek.

"This captures everyone's imagination, and it will define how people will remember their time at this football club.

"Without putting pressure on the team, this is what it's all about. This is the game the Sunderland people want, this means more to them than any other on the calendar, and the fact that we're back here and in with a shout is great."

Two years ago, a Kevin Ball-led Sunderland succumbed to a 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle that provided a fittingly wretched footnote to a thoroughly demoralising campaign.

The current mood on Wearside is considerably more upbeat and, while Newcastle might boast an eight-point advantage in the Premier League table, Quinn feels the two sides will kick off Saturday's game from a position of parity.

"It's in the melting pot," claimed the Black Cats chief. "And the beauty of football is you never know what's going to happen. We could all have a brilliant night on Saturday or we could have a knot in our stomachs. Whoever comes out on top, it will be a very big thing."

Caretaker boss Don Givens has named four Sunderland players in his Republic of Ireland squad for this month's Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales. Paul McShane, Liam Miller, Daryl Murphy and Anthony Stokes have all been included in the squad for the November 17 fixture at the Millennium Stadium. As expected, Black Cats defender Danny Collins has been excluded from John Toshack's Wales squad for the same game.