Deanna Cooper eyes derby day triumph - and another goal at St. James' Park | OneFootball

Cooper, who has started every WSL2 game this season, already has a taste for success and goals at St. James', so it's no surprise that she's already dreaming of another one against Sunderland on Sunday.

While there is a lot of noise and excitement around the first Tyne-Wear derby of the campaign, Cooper will never allow herself to stray away from the task at hand, much like every other Sunday afternoon.

"Obviously, it's a really special time to be playing at St. James' Park," Cooper admitted when reflecting on her last two competitive appearances at the stadium.

"As a centre back, I'll certainly take it (a goal at St. James') - and hopefully I can get another one this weekend, because it's so special to score there in front of our fans. When the ball goes in, it's a pretty incredible feeling."

A year ago, Cooper netted a 99th-minute equaliser to snatch a point against Southampton and maintain the Lasses' unbeaten record in competitive fixtures at St. James' Park.

"I don't think I could physically get up off the floor when I scored," she recalled. "I remember thinking that I wish I had the energy to get up and celebrate properly with the fans, because it felt like a win and a big moment in Newcastle's history.

"When you're playing for this club, you have that Geordie mentality. So, it's up to us players that when we're out there, we show what it's all about and what it means to fight for this badge."

While United are on a four-game unbeaten run in the WSL2, three of those have been draws, including a point on the road against Durham last week when the Lasses took the lead.

"I think it's just about those final details," Cooper said when asked how they turn draws into wins. "We've spoken about that a lot this week in training and how we need to be more ruthless in both boxes.

"We know we've conceded poor goals over the last few weeks, and we just need to find a way to put the ball in the back of the net."

With over 15,000 tickets sold for the second competitive Tyne-Wear derby at St. James' Park, having the support of raucous Geordies is what could make the difference.

"The thought of having all of our fans behind us and supporting us always gets me excited," she added.

"The club feels like it's building in the right direction, and our fan base is probably the biggest part of us moving forward as a club."